Bioactive Lipids: Biochemistry and Diseases (D2) 2010

The world of lipid mediators is expanding. New and unexpected biological functions, biosynthetic pathways and receptors are being revealed for lipids as appreciation of their complex interactions with protein and DNA are appreciated. New actions are still being added to classic mediators such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Lipid mediators are now recognized to influence a broad swath of biology from inflammation to allergy, immunity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and behavior. Advances in lipidomics enable us to monitor dynamics of a variety of lipid mediators simultaneously. In this symposium we invite distinguished scientists to share their progress in this expanding field and to present a comprehensive view on what lipid mediators do in our body. We invite also scientists interested in the translation of such basic science from model systems to an understanding of the role of lipids in human physiology, disease and drug action. Expansion of our understanding of the role of lipid mediators affords the opportunity for novel therapeutic opportunities, examples of which will be discussed in the symposium.