Robert Nshimiymana, PhD

Acute inflammation helps defend the body against threats like injury or infection and supports healing. However, it’s meant to be a short-term response that ends with a return to homeostasis, or the body’s stable state of equilibrium.

When inflammation persists, it can contribute to chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease.

So how does the body actively turn inflammation off?

The answer lies with a family of specialized molecules known as “pro-resolving mediators,” which help shut down inflammation and prevent damage to healthy tissue.

Charles Serhan, PhD, DSc

In this study, researchers Robert Nshimiyimana, PhD, Nan Chiang, PhD, and Charles Serhan, PhD, DSc, of the Serhan Laboratory in the Mass General Brigham Department of Anesthesiology, identified a previously unknown member of this family, which they termed Vascular-Leukocyte Resolvin (VL-Rv). This compound is produced during interactions between immune cells and endothelial cells during active inflammation, as well as by certain immune cells acting alone.

The team found that VL-Rv works through multiple mechanisms, such as limiting the influx of inflammatory immune cells and protecting blood vessel cells from damage and premature aging. They also discovered that VL-Rv is derived from the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, highlighting how omega-3s can support the body’s natural ability to resolve inflammation and protect vascular health.

Nan Chiang, PhD

Overall, the findings reveal a previously unrecognized biological pathway the body uses to pump the brakes on inflammation—work that may eventually inform new strategies to promote healing.

Published in PNAS on March 19, 2026 | Read the paper: “Elucidation of a potent pro-resolving mediator of inflammation resolution via human neutrophil–vascular endothelial cell interactions”

Summary reviewed by: Robert Nshimiyimana, PhD, lead author