The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a monolayer of pigmented cells whose function is essential for the integrity of the retina and for visual function. Retinal diseases that eventually end in vision loss and blindness involve inflammation, oxidative stress (OS), and alterations in the RPE-photoreceptor cellular partnership. This chapter summarizes the role of lipid signaling pathways and lipidic molecules in RPE cells exposed to inflammatory and OS conditions. The modulation of these pathways in the RPE, through either enzyme inhibitors or receptor stimulation or blockage, could open new therapeutic strategies for retinal degenerative diseases.
Keywords: Endocannabinoid system; Inflammation; Lipid signaling; Oxidative stress; Phospholipase A2; Phospholipase D; Retinal degeneration; Retinal pigment epithelium.