Mass collaboration produces benchmark recommendations for oxylipin studies

Focussing on the application of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, its aim is to establish a more “robust” framework of analytical methods.

Discovered in the 1930s, oxylipids are fatty molecules which have a key impact on human health and disease but the biological functions of many lipids is not properly understood, say the researchers.

However, growing interest in understanding their impact in some of the most common diseases such as cancer, dementia and cardiovascular ailments, as well as inflammation, has increased the need for research benchmarks.

The work has been led by professors Valerie O’Donnell of Cardiff University, UK and Nils Helge Schebb of Germany’s University Wuppertal – members of the oxylipin analysis interest group of the International Lipidomics Society (ILS).

Among those UK institutions involved is Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence which has studied oxylipins in collaboration with European peers for 15 years.

Three of its academics, professor Corinne Spickett, Dr Irundika Dias and Dr Ivana Milic, are among those consulted for the project.

Commented Schebb: “These recommendations now represent the benchmark for the field which we hope will lead to reproducible studies improving our understanding of the role of oxylipins in health and disease.”

For a full outline of the work review published in Science Signalling, click here.