Biological role of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine

The review presents currently available data on the biological role of 8-oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine. This compound for a long time has been used successfully as a biomarker of oxidative stress and diseases associated with it. However, in recent years, an increasing number of publications has appeared reporting that biological role of 8-oxo-dG is not only a mutagenic one; it also is involved in the regulation of gene expression, in some processes of DNA repair, in the control of inflammatory and autoimmune reactions, and in the activation of antioxidant systems. Probably, 8-oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine could prospectively be used as a drug.