How the Body Turns Off Inflammation: A Look at Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators

This review explains how the body naturally winds down inflammation once it has done its job. Fatty acids from our diet, including omega-3s, are converted by specific enzymes into signaling molecules called lipid mediators. Some of these, like prostaglandins and leukotrienes made from arachidonic acid, help start and sustain inflammation, while others, called specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) such as resolvins, protectins, and maresins, help bring inflammation to a close and restore normal tissue function.

The authors focus on enzymes—especially different forms of lipoxygenase—that are responsible for building these pro-resolving molecules from omega-3 fatty acids. They discuss research strategies aimed at boosting the body’s own production of SPMs by using compounds that activate these enzymes, sometimes combined with omega-3 supplementation.

The paper also briefly mentions early-stage clinical trials suggesting that these enzyme-activating approaches, alone or paired with omega-3 intake, may support the resolution process in people with ongoing inflammatory conditions, though the authors describe this as an emerging area needing further study.