Lipid Mediators in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory neurodegenerative disease associated with uncontrolled inflammation and autoimmunity and for which there is still an unmet need for new diagnostic and therapeutic options, especially for the progressive forms. Recent studies suggest that chronic inflammation can be a consequence of failure to resolve inflammation, the resolution of which is mediated by a newly discovered genus of highly potent anti-inflammatory lipids derived metabolically from omega-3 essential fatty acids and termed specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs). Herein, we propose to identify SPMs as leads for the control of MS pathology and progression and to propose them as novel disease-modifying treatments by assessing their ex vivo/in vitro and in vivo role in modulating the balance of effector and regulatory cells and/or the mechanisms leading to chronicity as wells as in promoting activation of anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective pathways.