Our Research
Our reserach group within the Research division of Chemistry II, is focused on bioactive lipids, in particular the eicosanoids, a family of oxygenated metabolites of arachidonic acid encompassing prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, and lipoxins. These paracrine hormones play both physiological and pathogenic roles in man, in particular as signaling molecules in innate immune responses and inflammation within the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. We study all aspects of these mediators including chemical and structural identification of metabolites, cellular activation and regulation of eicosanoid biosynthesis, as well as biochemical and structural characterization of the enzymes and regulatory proteins of the biosynthetic pathways. In recent years, we have put special efforts into translation of our basic knowledge into clinical and applied projects, using collections of patient samples and animal models, in collaboration with clinical teams.
The eicosanoid cascade has generated a number of successful drugs such as NSAIDs, coxibs, latanoprost, and lukasts for treatment of pain, fever, arthritis, glaucoma, and asthma. As a consequence, part of our work is carried out in alliance with pharmaceutical industry.
