The role of oxylipins and their validation as biomarkers in the clinical context

Abstract

Oxylipins are bioactive lipid mediators that participate in a wide range of processes, from blood flow to inflammation. In recent years, their exhaustive characterization as potential biomarkers has been actively pursued. However, several analytical challenges and sources of variability, like the low abundance of oxylipins in samples, their structural diversity, and the lack of harmonized and validated protocols for sample selection, collection, storage, and preparation have hampered their translation into clinical settings. In this review, these sources of variability are addressed and are exemplified with their application in recent clinical studies in different diseases. Our overall analysis highlights the need to achieve harmonized protocols for generating reliable and reproducible results that could be integrated into clinical practice to reach their full diagnostic and prognostic potential.