SPM are dihydroxy, trihydroxy, and epoxy-hydroxy metabolites of long chain PUFA made by certain dioxygenase enzymes viz., cyclooxygenases and lipoxygenases.

Byproducts of this metabolism include the reduction of 14-HpDHA to its hydroxyl counterpart, 14(S)-hydroxy-4Z,7Z,10Z,12E,16Z,19Z-DHA (14-HDHA); the 5-lipoxygenase-dependent conversion of 14-HpDHA and/or 14-HDHA to 7(S),14(S)-dihydroxy-4Z,8E,10Z,12E,15Z,19Z-DHA; and the non-enzymatic hydrolysis of 14-HpDHA to 7(S/R),14(S)-DHA and 13(S/R)-DHA products.

[9] Planaria worms metabolize DHA to MaR1 during the healing phase of experimentally induced tissue injury.

[10] Studies suggest that maresins are involved in resolving inflammatory and allergic reactions, in wound healing, and in abating neuropathic pain.

[8][6] In a murine model of acute respiratory distress syndrome, MaR1 generation was detected in a temporally regulated manner with early MaR1 production was dependent on platelet-neutrophil interactions; intravascular MaR1 was organ-protective, leading to decreased lung neutrophils, edema, tissue hypoxia, and prophlogistic mediators.

[8] It is also noted that macrophages derived by culturing the monocytes isolated from the blood of patients with localized aggressive periodontitis have reduced levels of 12-lipoxygenase and MaR1 as well as reduced phagocytosis and killing of the periodontal pathogenic bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; the latter functional defects were improved by treating the cells with MaR1.