The skin is a very peculiar organ, displaying biochemical and immunological features specific for a compartment continuously exposed to external and endogenous stimuli. Skin lipid composition is a mixture derived from keratinocyte membranes and sebum, including unique compounds such as squalene or specific bioactive sphingolipids, not only providing protection from environmental stressors, but also giving rise to by-products able to trigger, sustain, or terminate cutaneous inflammatory processes.

The aim of this special issue is to provide current advances on the role of skin lipids and of their oxidation by-products, namely, 4-hydroxynonenal, oxysterols, oxidized phospholipids among others, in the determinism and regulation of skin and mucosal tissue inflammation. Their function in the modulation of ROS, RNS, cytokine, and chemokine production and release, in DNA and protein oxidation, in gene expression, in the regulation of antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes, is under extensive investigation.

We invite authors to present original research articles as well as review articles that will add new information or review current status of research on the role of lipid molecules and their by-products in triggering, sustaining, and modulating inflammatory states of the cutaneous compartment. Lipid oxidation is a key mechanism involved in chronic inflammatory skin diseases, among which are psoriasis, acne, atopic and seborrheic dermatitis. Special focus will also be on the role of lipid mediators derived from oxidative processes and cell apoptotic membranes, in skin wound healing and in skin ageing. Among environmental and endogenous stressors modifying skin lipid targets, stress will be cast on cigarette smoke- ozone- and UV-driven lipid mediators of inflammation, generated by both environmental exposure and physiotherapy protocols, with attention to active principles for systemic and topical application, aimed at the prevention not only of sunburn but also to local and systemic immunological impairment, resulting in increased risk of photocarcinogenesis. Lipid modifications induced by resident and pathogenic microbial flora, affecting inflammatory status of the skin, will also deserve attention in view of the recent appraisal of plant extracts as inhibitors of skin lipoperoxidation and proinflammatory cytokines release. Finally, the effectiveness of dietary intervention in the modulation of the proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory effects of lipid mediators in the skin will need deeper investigation, awaiting more in vivo studies to gain clinical consensus. Reports on clinical studies investigating the roles of lipid mediators in psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, or other chronic inflammatory skin states, or in acute inflammation consequent to skin surgery, dermoesthetic procedures, severe burns, and so forth, will provide precious translational value to the issue.

Before submission, authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: