For the last decade, development of different molecular, cellular biology and omics technologies, significantly enriched our understanding of the role of lipids in maintenance and regulation of biological functions. Along with the appreciation of natural lipidomes complexity, we start to understand the variety of their regulatory roles. In addition to the classical biochemical routes, lipids can be enzymatically and non-enzymatically modified via introduction of small chemical groups. Similar to DNA (epigenetics) and protein (protein PTMs), enzymatic and non-enzymatic lipid modifications, including phosphorylation, glycosylation, oxidation, nitration, sulfation and halogenation, compose a new level of lipidome complexity (epilipidome) required to regulate complex biological functions. (Epi)lipidome is very dynamic and reflects the diversity of physiological (development, proliferation, cell senescence and regulated death programmes) as well as pathological (chronic and acute inflammation, cancer, neurodegeneration) conditions.

At LMAI we are specifically interested in the role of lipid (per)oxidation in metabolic, degenerative and malignant diseases. We developed different analytical and bioinformatics solutions for identification and quantification of such modified lipids in clinical samples which allowed us to identify specific epilipidomics signatures in the development of obesity and insulin resistance, as well as ferroptotic cell death.