Lipoxin analogs: novel anti-inflammatory mediators

Most pharmacological anti-inflammatory agents are designed to inhibit the enzymes or receptors that are directly involved in mediating inflammation. In contrast, lipoxin analogs utilize an entirely different anti-inflammatory paradigm, namely that of activating the endogenous anti-inflammatory signaling pathways by which inflammation is normally resolved. Specifically, synthetic stable analogs of the endogenous anti-inflammatory eicosanoid lipoxin A4 (LXA4) have been shown to mimic the anti-inflammatory actions of LXA4 in a variety of inflammation models and display desirable pharmacological properties, especially their high oral bioavailability. Lipoxin analogs could be potentially useful for a wide array of disease states that have an inflammatory component, and look particularly promising for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.