Fatty acid amide hydrolase, anandamide, and neurological diseases

The endocannabinoid anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamine, AEA) is a bioactive lipid that has been shown to regulate a number of important pathophysiological conditions in humans, including several neurological disorders. AEA acts on cannabinoid receptors, and many studies reported that it may also interact with other targets, such as vanilloid and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. AEA, together with 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), their molecular targets, biosynthetic and degradative enzymes form the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The biological activity of AEA depends on a “metabolic control” that modulates the effects of this substance by finely tuning its in vivo concentration. In particular, the major molecular player involved in AEA metabolism is fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). As such, this enzyme is the subject of numerous studies and clinical trials to investigate about its potential therapeutic role and how it impacts various disease processes that present significant unmet medical needs.