“The outbreak of SARS in China in 2003 provided an impetus for us to write the article in which we proposed that a glutathone deficiency may be an important factor that contributes to the disease.”

Our review paper provides very succinct and updated information about the regulation of glutathione metabolism in mammals and its important implications for many human diseases characterized by oxidative stress (a deleterious imbalance between the production and removal of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species).

Our paper critically and thoroughly evaluates recent evidence indicating that a deficiency of glutathione (a small peptide formed from glutamate, cysteine, and glycine) contributes to oxidative stress, and, therefore, may play a crucial role in aging and the development of many diseases. These diseases include cancer, seizure, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, HIV, AIDS, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. We propose that improving glutathione status through optimal amino-acid nutrition, is an effective therapeutic strategy to prevent and treat a wide array of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular complications, and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).