Volume 30, Issue 167, January 2026

Oxidative stress as a therapeutic target in atopic dermatitis: A systematic review

Monika Paszkowska^1♦, Klaudia Mularczyk¹, Tadeusz Kuźnieców¹, Łukasz Karaban¹, Patrycja Znamirowska², Anna Jakubiak³, Joanna Miśkiewicz⁴, Magdalena Kupis⁵, Aleksandra Ciuła⁶, Michał Borawski⁶

¹Międzylesie Specialist Hospital in Warsaw, Bursztynowa 2, 04-749 Warsaw, Poland
²Specialist Hospital Dr. Tytus Chałubiński in Radom, Lekarska 4, 26- 610 Radom, Poland
³National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Wołoska 137, 02-507 Warsaw, Poland
⁴Provincial Hospital in Kielce, Grunwaldzka 45, 25-736 Kielce, Poland
⁵Casimir Pulaski University of Radom, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Health Sciences, Chrobrego 27, 26-600 Radom, Poland
⁶Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God Hospital in Cracow, Trynitarska 11, 31-061 Cracow, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Monika Paszkowska, Międzylesie Specialist Hospital in Warsaw, Bursztynowa 2, 04-749 Warsaw, Poland

ABSTRACT

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, non-infectious disease that most often begins in childhood. It is characterized by itchy erythematous lesions located mainly on the flexural surfaces, as well as dry skin and lichenification. The pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis consists of immunological, genetic, and environmental aspects that start the dysfunction of the epidermal barrier and promote dysregulation of the immune response. This entire process leads to chronic inflammation, and it is related to oxidative stress. Studies confirm that bioactive compounds, plant extracts, and hydrogels have important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, they are able to control reactive oxygen species (ROS) production due to antioxidant therapies, which may become a promising strategy for treating AD. The introduction of such therapeutic strategies could help improve the quality of life for patients with atopic dermatitis and reduce the symptoms associated with this chronic skin disease. This piece aims to explore the aspect of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis and to evaluate the efficacy of various antioxidant therapies with a focus on their therapeutic potential.

Keywords: atopic dermatitis, oxidative stress, oxidative stress in atopic dermatitis, ROS, reactive oxidative stress

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e3ms3728

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Published: 09 January 2026