Skin Lipidomics in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cutaneous Inflammation

Anna Nicolaou
The University of Manchester

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Anna Nicolaou (Presenter) The University of Manchester

Presenter Bio: Prof. Anna Nicolaou is Professor of Biological Chemistry at the Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester. She received her PhD in Bioorganic Chemistry from the University of Athens and then trained as postdoctoral fellow at the School of Pharmacy, University of London. She joined the University of Bradford in 1997 and became Professor of Biological Chemistry in 2008. In 2013, she took her current post at the School of Health Sciences and the Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Manchester. Currently, she is Executive Editor of BBA Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, co-chair of the Lipidomics Division of the European Federation for the Science and Technology of Lipids (EuroFedLipid), board member of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Relevant Financial Disclosures (within past 24 months) Grant/Research Support Waters (studentship grant awarded to the University of Manchester)); Committee/Board/Advisory Board ISSFAL board of directors Discussing Products? NO, presenter will NOT present educational content related to products/services of the ineligible company(ies) listed above. Conflict mitigation NOT REQUIRED.

Skin depends on a unique profile of lipids that are necessary for the correct structure and function of the epidermal barrier, management of cellular communications and regulation of cutaneous homeostasis. Alterations in the cutaneous lipid profile can have severe consequences for skin health and such changes have been implicated in many inflammatory skin conditions. Using a targeted lipidomics platform we have investigated the prevalence of bioactive lipids in human skin, and reported an array of eicosanoids, octadecanoids, docosanoids, endocannabinoids, acyl ethanolamines and ceramides. We have conducted clinical studies and used human skin organ culture models and isolated cells in order to explore the differential contributions of lipid families to skin conditions. We have also explored lipid responses to various stimuli, and have examined temporal changes in lipid profiles aiming to understand their contribution to acute cutaneous inflammation and its resolution. Systemic supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) has also revealed the differing cutaneous activities of these protective fatty acids, and demonstrated how they mediate their activities through perturbation of the profiles of existing species as well as formation of new lipids. Overall, we have shown that targeted lipidomics can elucidate the network of cutaneous bioactive lipids, support the development of biomarkers and diagnostics, and identify therapeutic targets for inflammatory skin disease.