Our lab combines biochemistry, molecular biology and immunology disciplines. We study how selected endogenous and exogenous immuno-modulatory compounds regulate key macrophages activities, and hence inflammation. Delineation of signal transduction pathways starts upstream with identification of novel receptors and with identification of novel ligands for established receptors, and follows the pathways downstream to promoter activity regulation of key inflammatory genes. We focus on endogenous sphingolipids that mimic pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and hence may act as DAMPs.