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Author
Cisquella Serra, Marina
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Abstract
Fatty acid ethanolamides are a large family of endogenous lipid mediators that perform various functions throughout the body. For this reason, they have aroused great interest over time. As N-palmitoylethanolamide accumulates during inflammatory processes, this lipid has emerged as a powerful pharmaceutical target due to its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and neuroprotective properties.
In animals, PEA biosynthesis is performed on demand and its degradation is catalyzed by N-Acetylethanolamine acid amidase (NAAA). NAAA decreases endogenous levels of PEA causing the formation of its lipid antagonist, palmitic acid (PA). It has been confirmed that during the development of neurodegenerative diseases, palmitic acid plays an important role in increasing inflammatory processes. However, the role of NAAA in controlling PEA activity is still unknown. For this reason, the generation of NAAA inhibitors has begun to emerge to understand their physiological role in the body.
This work focuses on reviewing the biosynthesis of PEA and its degradation in addition to its therapeutic properties during pathological processes. Furthermore, a design study is proposed to measure the levels of PEA and PA in different cell lines and thus, be able to acquire a better knowledge of the function of NAAA.
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