Fatty acid omega-oxidation as a rescue pathway for fatty acid oxidation disorders in humans

Fatty acids (FAs) can be degraded via different mechanisms including alpha-, beta- and omega-oxidation. In humans, a range of different genetic diseases has been identified in which either mitochondrial FA beta-oxidation, peroxisomal FA beta-oxidation or FA alpha-oxidation is impaired. Treatment options for most of these disorders are limited. This has prompted us to study FA omega-oxidation as a rescue pathway for these disorders, based on the notion that if the omega-oxidation of specific FAs could be upregulated one could reduce the accumulation of these FAs and the subsequent detrimental effects in the different groups of disorders. In this minireview, we describe our current state of knowledge in this area with special emphasis on Refsum disease and X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy