New Database Unlocks Lipids' Disease-Fighting Potential

OHSU scientists lead development of so-called 'Google maps' for how lipids interact with proteins inside cells

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University have developed a new open-access database and dashboard that enables biomedical researchers around the world to quickly see the connections between lipids and proteins inside cells. The researchers say this new 'lipid interactome' could accelerate the development of new treatments involving lipids, which play a central role in many diseases.

Why it matters

Lipids are involved in nearly every aspect of cell biology and play crucial roles in diseases including infection, stroke, heart attack, cancer, neurodegeneration and immune disorders. However, lipids have been an understudied area of science, partly because classifying and manipulating distinct lipids is extremely difficult. This new database aims to unlock the disease-fighting potential of lipids by providing a comprehensive map of how they interact with proteins inside cells.

The details

The new 'lipid interactome' is described as a type of 'Google maps' charting the interplay between lipids and proteins. It brings together a vast database that logs interactions between the innumerable types of lipids and proteins, which the researchers say may be a crucial step toward understanding how lipids drive disease. The database was developed by OHSU scientists Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D., and Carsten Schultz, Ph.D., and their collaborators.

  • The research was published online on February 18, 2026 in the journal Bioinformatics.

The players

Fikadu Tafesse

Professor and chair of microbiology and immunology in the OHSU School of Medicine.

Carsten Schultz

Professor and chair of chemical physiology and biochemistry in the OHSU School of Medicine.

Gaelen Guzman

The first author of the study published in Bioinformatics.

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What they’re saying

“Lipids are involved in nearly every aspect of cell biology and play central roles in diseases including infection, stroke, heart attack, cancer, neurodegeneration and immune disorders. Pretty much every component of cellular function is connected to lipids and lipid metabolism.”

— Fikadu Tafesse, Professor and chair of microbiology and immunology in the OHSU School of Medicine (Mirage News)

“We know the biochemistry of some lipids, but we don't always know their role in cell maintenance and shape. This may be because they bind to certain proteins in the cell.”

— Carsten Schultz, Professor and chair of chemical physiology and biochemistry in the OHSU School of Medicine (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers say the new 'lipid interactome' database and dashboard will be made freely available to the global scientific community to accelerate research into the disease-fighting potential of lipids.

The takeaway

This new open-access database represents a major step forward in unlocking the crucial but underappreciated role that lipids play in human health and disease. By providing researchers worldwide with a comprehensive map of lipid-protein interactions, it could lead to breakthroughs in developing new treatments for a wide range of diseases.