Ozone a natural bioactive molecule with antioxidant property as potential new strategy in aging and in neurodegenerative disorders

Background: oxidative stress in ageing and neurodegenerative disease

Ageing and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease are closely linked to oxidative stress - an imbalance between damaging reactive molecules and the body's own antioxidant defences. Existing treatments for these conditions are limited in what they can do, and often costly. This paper explores a different idea: that controlled, low-dose ozone, by gently engaging the body's antioxidant systems, might help counter some of the processes involved in ageing and neurodegeneration.

Study design: a review and hypothesis paper, not a clinical trial

This is a review article rather than a new experiment. The authors gathered and interpreted existing laboratory, mechanistic and clinical literature to build a case for how oxygen-ozone (O2-O3) therapy might act in ageing and neurodegenerative disease. Much of the biological evidence they draw on comes from cell and animal studies rather than trials in patients with these conditions.

Findings: a proposed antioxidant mechanism centred on the Nrf2 pathway

The central idea the authors describe is that small, controlled doses of ozone create a mild, transient oxidative signal that switches on the body's own antioxidant defences - in particular the Nrf2 pathway, a master regulator of antioxidant and protective genes. Through this and related mechanisms, they argue, ozone may help reduce the chronic oxidative stress and inflammation that contribute to neurodegeneration. These are proposed mechanisms drawn largely from preclinical work, rather than demonstrated outcomes in people with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.

What the authors concluded

The authors suggest that oxygen-ozone therapy could represent a potentially useful, safe, non-invasive, non-pharmacological and low-cost strategy to help delay neurodegeneration, worth exploring as a complement to existing approaches. They recommend running clinical studies - ideally starting in the early phases of ageing - and exploring ozone alongside other antioxidants as a preventive strategy. Their conclusions are framed as a proposal for future research, not as proof of benefit.

Limitations of this study

As a review and hypothesis paper, this work does not itself provide clinical evidence that ozone therapy slows ageing or treats neurodegenerative disease. The proposed benefits rest mainly on mechanistic and preclinical findings, which do not always translate to people, and the paper does not report controlled trials in patients with these conditions. The ideas set out here would need to be tested in well-designed human studies before any conclusions could be drawn about ozone therapy for ageing or neurodegeneration.