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By Hannah Millington
Health Reporter
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Hemoglobin could hold the key to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
The protein found in red blood cells that transports oxygen in the body could play a potentially game-changing—and previously overlooked—antioxidant role in the brain, according to Institute for Basic Science (IBS) researchers in South Korea.
In neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and aging, brain cells endure relentless damage from the excessive formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can result in oxidative stress.
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In the U.S., more than seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, for example, according to the Alzheimer's Association. This figure is projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050—hence the need for new treatments.
"The repeated failure of conventional treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS suggested that current therapeutic targets might be missing the core pathological mechanisms," study author Woojin Won and director C. Justin Lee told Newsweek.
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"Our previous research revealed that astrocytes produce aberrant hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) [one of the reactive oxygen species, a particularly harmful form of ROS] in disease conditions, damaging nearby neurons," Lee continued.
"However, despite the known toxicity of H₂O₂, there is currently no efficient treatment that eliminates H₂O₂ in the brain."
Scientists have long tried to neutralize ROS with antioxidant drugs, but without much luck, as these tend either to not able to penetrate the brain effectively, or end up indiscriminately damaging healthy cells.
In the new study, however, the researchers set out to identify the brain's own defenses against H₂O₂.
"Contrary to conventional wisdom that hemoglobin exists only in red blood cells, we discovered its presence in brain astrocytes [star-shaped brain cells critical for neuronal support]... Remarkably, this hemoglobin functions as a 'pseudoperoxidase' capable of breaking down H₂O₂ into harmless water," Won and Lee explained.
"This represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of endogenous brain antioxidant systems and offers a unique, targeted approach to regulate oxidative stress in neurodegeneration."
No previous treatment has targeted astrocytic hemoglobin as an antioxidant system, nor demonstrated such broad protective effects, the researchers explained.
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"The key was to uncover hemoglobin's antioxidant potential in the brain and design a 'first-in-class' compound that could selectively enhance it. By boosting a natural defense mechanism rather than introducing an external antioxidant, we achieved strong and lasting protection across multiple disease models associated with oxidative stress," said Won in a statement.
The team developed a small, water-soluble molecule capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier called KDS12025. It binds inside hemoglobin and boosts its ability to decompose H₂O₂ nearly 100-fold—all without disrupting its normal oxygen-carrying function.
In disease-like conditions in astrocytes, KDS12025 sharply reduced harmful H₂O₂ levels.
Experiments on mice revealed that oral administration of KDS12025 through drinking water protected neurons, calmed reactive astrocytes and restored brain function.
In mice with ALS, meanwhile, the compound appeared to delayed disease onset, with the rodents living more than four weeks longer than untreated controls.
Mice with Parkinson's, meanwhile, saw restored motor function with KDS12025 and in Alzheimer's mice models it improved memory.
In aging mice, meanwhile, the treatment extended median lifespan from the typical two years to as long as three years. The drug also alleviated inflammation and joint damage in a rheumatoid arthritis model.
The scientists also uncovered a damaging feedback loop: excess H₂O₂ depletes astrocytic hemoglobin, weakening the brain's natural antioxidant defenses and accelerating degeneration.
By boosting hemoglobin's levels and activity, they explained, KDS12025 reversed this trend, reducing oxidative stress, preserving neurons, and maintaining healthy brain function.
Won and Lee said the research "opens the door to a completely new class of precision redox therapeutics" and the features of KDS12025 make it "a safer, more effective, and longer-lasting alternative to existing antioxidant treatments."
Lee and Won explained the next step is to advance KDS12025 through preclinical toxicology and pharmacology studies, followed by clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases.
At the same time, they are investigating the broader biological roles of hemoglobin in brain cells and exploring further whether it may be involved in DNA protection and cellular stress responses.
"If development proceeds as planned, we hope to initiate preclinical trials and phase 1 trials within the next one to four years. Given the urgent unmet need in diseases like ALS and Alzheimer's, and the promising safety and efficacy data in animal models, we are optimistic that KDS12025 could reach patients within the next five to seven years as a novel, mechanism-based treatment for oxidative stress-related brain diseases."
Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about neurodegenerative diseases? Let us know via health@newsweek.com.
Reference
Won, W., Lee, E. H., Gotina, L., Chun, H., Lee, J.-H., Bhalla, M., Park, U., Kim, D., Kim, T. Y., Choi, J. W., Kim, Y., Park, S. J., Lim, J., Park, J.-H., Kim, H. J., Heo, J. Y., Chung, W., Oh, M. J., An, H. J., ... Lee, C. J. (2025). Hemoglobin as a pseudoperoxidase and drug target for oxidative stress-related diseases. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 10(1), 270. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-025-02366-w
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