Lipid is a key cell signaling molecule. It is also involved in the regulation of many important life activities

including material transport

structural support

energy conversion

cell growth

differentiation and apoptosis. As a subdiscipline of metabonomics

lipidomics is an important approach to comprehensive analysis of lipids metabolism. Through analyzing the lipid profiles under different physiological conditions

lipidomics research can indicate the changes of the lipid metabolic network and obtain the lipid-based biomarkers contributed to the changes. Many studies have demonstrated that abnormal metabolism of lipids is closely related to the development of respiratory system diseases. Using lipidomics technique can reveal the changes of respiratory system diseases-associated lipids

find out the abnormal metabolic pathways and identify the biomarkers finally. Thus

lipidomics have shown great potential applications in the early diagnosis and development of disease

as well as the discovery of drug targets. The paper summarized and analyzed the progress and prospects of structured lipids and signal lipids in bronchial pneumonia

asthma

acute lung injury

pulmonary fibrosis and other respiratory diseases in recent years. We focus on the structure lipid including phosphatidylcholine

phosphatidylglycerol

sphingolipids

and signaling lipids including eicosanoids (such as prostaglandins)

thromboxanes

leukotrienes

lipoxins

hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids

isoprostanes and so on. Take together

lipidomics are developing rapidly

and analysis techniques will also further promote its research and clinical application.