Phospholipid lipidomics in health and disease

Phospholipid compositions are regulated in vivo by a combination of nutrition and phenotypic expression, and these compositions are characteristic of different cell types and organs. Advances in analytical methods, particularly electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry, now permit the detailed analysis of phospholipid compositions in terms of individual molecular species rather than just as phospholipid fatty acids. This review will highlight the currently available methods for phospholipid lipidomics and outline their variation both in normal physiological function and in a variety of pathologies.