Membrane lipids and Free radicals

Membrane lipids are the primary structural components of biological membranes and consist mainly of phospholipids, glycolipids, and cholesterol. Free radicals, particularly reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, are highly reactive molecules generated during normal metabolism and under stress conditions. Free radicals attack the polyunsaturated fatty acid residues of membrane lipids in a process called lipid peroxidation, leading to decreased membrane fluidity, disruption of cell signaling, damage to proteins and DNA, and ultimately cell death (notably via ferroptosis). This process is implicated in a variety of diseases including neurodegeneration, cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and aging. While individual downstream targets of the lipid peroxidation pathway (such as GPX4) are drug targets, "membrane lipids/free radicals" as stated is too broad to be a canonical therapeutic target[3][4][5][6].

Other names

membrane phospholipidscell membrane lipidsreactive oxygen species (ROS)reactive nitrogen species (RNS)

Antioxidants scavenge free radicals to prevent lipid peroxidation; Inhibitors of GPX4 or system Xc- (SLC7A11) promote accumulation of lipid peroxides leading to ferroptotic cell death