Oxidative modification of lipids and phospholipids--including radical damage, halogenation, and nitration--result in significant changes to the chemical properties of the molecules, which in turn have a major effect on their biochemical functions. Lipid oxidation has long been regarded as a deleterious process responsible for lipid rancidity, loss of function, and generation of toxic products. However in recent years, research has also focused on the non-detrimental physiological and pathological effects of these chemical reactions. Lipid Oxidation in Health and Disease provides an up-to-date review of the role of oxidized lipid products in physiological and pathophysiological processes.

Covering the diverse topics that contribute to research in this important field, this book explores:

• The mechanisms of lipid oxidation, both enzymatic and non-enzymatic
• Antioxidant defenses and lipid oxidation
• Lipid oxidation products and cell signaling
• The roles of oxidized lipids in specific diseases--including cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and metabolic disorders, as well as in cancer
• Drug targeting and the therapeutic potential of oxidized lipids

Accurate measurement of the formation of lipid oxidation products and investigation of their biological effects and roles in disease are critical to biomedical science and new targeted therapeutics. Written by acknowledged experts in the field, this book provides a broad survey of both established knowledge and recent findings on the action of oxidized lipid products on cell signaling and gene expression in health and disease.