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Lipids in Health and Disease pp 101–132Cite as

Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase: A Gate-Keeper of the Endocannabinoid System

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Part of the book series: Subcellular Biochemistry ((SCBI,volume 49))

Abstract

The family of endocannabinoids contains several polyunsaturated fatty acid amides such as anandamide (AEA), but also esters such as 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). These compounds are the main endogenous agonists of cannabinoid receptors, able to mimic several pharmacological effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the active principle of Cannabis sativa preparations like hashish and marijuana. The activity of AEA at its receptors is limited by cellular uptake, through a putative membrane transporter, followed by intracellular degradation by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Growing evidence demonstrates that FAAH is the critical regulator of the endogenous levels of AEA, suggesting that it may serve as an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of human disorders. In particular, FAAH inhibitors may be next generation therapeutics of potential value for the treatment of pathologies of the central nervous system, and of peripheral tissues. Investigations into the structure and function of FAAH, its biological and therapeutic implications, as well as a description of different families of FAAH inhibitors, are the topic of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Medicine & Biochemical Sciences, University of Rome“Tor Vergata”, Rome, Ital, Teramo, Italy

    Mauro Maccarrone

  2. European Center for Brain Research (CERC)/IRCCS S. Lucia Foundation, Rome, Ital

    Mauro Maccarrone

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  1. Filomena Fezza
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  2. Chiara De Simone
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  3. Daniele Amadio
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  4. Mauro Maccarrone
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  1. Biochemistry Department, King’s College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK

    Peter J. Quinn

  2. State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, China

    Xiaoyuan Wang

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Fezza, F., De Simone, C., Amadio, D., Maccarrone, M. (2008). Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase: A Gate-Keeper of the Endocannabinoid System. In: Quinn, P.J., Wang, X. (eds) Lipids in Health and Disease. Subcellular Biochemistry, vol 49. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8831-5_4

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