SOD mimetics are coming of age.

The list of pathophysiological conditions that are associated with the overproduction of superoxide anions expands every day. The most exciting realization is that there seems to be a similarity between the tissue injury that is observed in various disease states, as superoxide anions produce tissue injury and associated inflammation in all tissues in similar ways. Tissue injury and inflammation form the basis of many disease pathologies, including ischaemia and reperfusion injuries, radiation injury, hyperoxic lung damage and atherosclerosis. This commonality provides a unique opportunity to manipulate numerous disease states with an agent that removes superoxide anions.