The emerging field of lipidomics

The crucial role of lipids in cell, tissue and organ physiology is demonstrated by a large number of genetic studies and by many human diseases that involve the disruption of lipid metabolic enzymes and pathways. Examples of such diseases include cancer, diabetes, as well as neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. So far, the explosion of information in the fields of genomics and proteomics has not been matched by a corresponding advancement of knowledge in the field of lipids, which is largely due to the complexity of lipids and the lack of powerful tools for their analysis. Novel analytical approaches--in particular, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry--for systems-level analysis of lipids and their interacting partners (lipidomics) now make this field a promising area of biomedical research, with a variety of applications in drug and biomarker development.