A glance on antioxidants: The role of sulfur amino acids in retinal disorders

Retinal diseases are primary reasons of blindness and are due to an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant scavenger or a disruption of redox signaling and control. It is well known that oxidative stress is one of the most important causes of retinal degenerative diseases. This chapter will discuss on the impact of oxidative stress in retinal neurodegenerative diseases, with particular focus on diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. Then, we focus on the potential of sulfur-containing amino acids for preventing or reducing oxidative damage in retinal tissues. The mechanism by which taurine supplementation acts is mainly related to the reduction of oxidative stress. In particular, it has been demonstrated to improve retinal oxidative stress; however, the protective mechanisms exerted by sulfur-containing amino acids against retinal damage remain to be further investigated.