Cell membranes. Molecular lipid therapy

Abstract

Membrane lipids, due to diverse molecular structures, electric charge and different functional characteristic, have a profound role in multiple cytophysiological processes. A better understanding of the membrane structure and changes of its function in a wide range of diseases gave rise to a new approach termed membrane lipid therapy and directed to modifying the membranes. The strategies directed to membrane involve a direct regulation of membrane lipid composition that causes a change of the transmembrane protein function and modifies the organization of membrane microdomains, or regulation of enzyme activity and gene expression to alter membrane lipid composition. Membrane therapy assumes the use of new molecules specifically designed to modify lipid composition and function of abnormal signaling proteins. Therefore, modifications of the lipid composition and organization of membrane microdomains become pharmacological targets to reverse pathological changes in the profile of enzymatically and non-enzymatically generated lipid derivatives or to modify signaling pathways in the cell. The present monography is an update of the canonical membrane model by Singer-Nicolson and describes the therapeutic targets related to the regulation of the composition and organization of the lipids in the plasma membrane.