Redox lipidomics to better understand brain aging and function

Human prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a recently evolutionary emerged brain region involved in cognitive functions. Human cognitive abilities decline during aging. Yet the molecular mechanisms that sustain the preservation or deterioration of neurons and PFC functions are unknown. In this review, we focus on the role of lipids in human PFC aging. As the evolution of brain lipid concentrations is particularly accelerated in the human PFC, conferring a specific lipid profile, a brief approach to the lipidome of PFC was consider along with the relationship between lipids and lipoxidative damage, and the role of lipids in human PFC aging. In addition, the specific targets of lipoxidative damage in human PFC, the affected biological processes, and their potential role in the cognitive decline associated with aging are discussed. Finally, interventions designed to modify this process are considered. We propose that the dysfunction of key biological processes due to selective protein lipoxidation damage may have a role the cognitive decline of PFC during aging.Research by the authors was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Institute of Health Carlos III (FIS grants PI14/00757 and PI14/00328), and the Autonomous Government of Catalonia (2017SGR696), to I.F. and R.P. and Instituto de Salud Carlos III and co-funded by FEDER [grant number PIE15/00013], SAF2016-75508-R from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (MEC), CB16/10/00435 (CIBERFES), PROMETEOII2014/056 de “Consellería, de Sanitat de la Generalitat Valenciana and EU Funded CM1001 and FRAILOMIC-HEALTH.2012.2.1.1-2 and ADVANTAGE-724099 Join Action (HP-JA) 3rd EU Health Programme to J.V. and PCIN-2017-117 of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the EU Joint Programming Initiative ‘A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life’ (JPI HDHL INTIMIC-085) to C.B. This study was co-financed by FEDER funds from the European Union (‘A way to build Europe’)