Inflammation is the response of the immune system to injury and infection.
As such, it is a critical component of multiple disease states, including anaphylaxis,
cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and asthma.
Inflammation is a complex process that is composed of multiple stages – the main
stages being a pro-inflammatory stage followed by a pro-resolution phase. Eicosanoids
and cytokines are critical biochemical mediators involved in both the initiation of the
inflammatory response and the resolution of the inflammatory response. Some
biochemical mediators are specifically pro-inflammatory or pro-resolution, while
others perform both functions. These biochemical mediators play key roles, and thus,
the production and inhibition of these mediators are often targets for pharmaceutical
intervention.
Keywords: Chemokines, Cytokines, Eicosanoids, Inflammation, Phospholipase
A2, Resolvins.
