Use of lipid conjugates in the treatment of diseases

1. A method of treating a subject suffering from an obstructive respiratory disease, comprising the step of administering to a subject in need thereof a compound represented by the structure of the general formula (I):

wherein

R 1 is a linear, saturated, mono-unsaturated, or poly-unsaturated, alkyl chain ranging in length from 2 to 30 carbon atoms;

R 2 is a linear, saturated, mono-unsaturated, or poly-unsaturated, alkyl chain ranging in length from 2 to 30 carbon atoms;

Y is either nothing or a spacer group ranging in length from 2 to 30 atoms;

X is a physiologically acceptable monomer, dimer, oligomer, or polymer, wherein X is a glycosaminoglycan; and

n is a number from 1 to 1,000;

wherein if Y is nothing the phosphatidylethanolamine is directly linked to X via an amide bond and if Y is a spacer, said spacer is directly linked to X via an amide or an esteric bond and to said phosphatidylethanolamine via an amide bond in an amount effective to treat said subject suffering from an obstructive respiratory disease.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said obstructive respiratory disease is asthma.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said physiologically acceptable polymer is chondroitin sulfate.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said chondroitin sulfate is chondroitin-6-sulfate, chondroitin-4-sulfate or a derivative thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said physiologically acceptable polymer is hyaluronic acid.

6. A method of treating a subject suffering from an obstructive respiratory disease, comprising the step of administering to a subject in need thereof a compound represented by the structure of the general formula (II):

wherein

R 1 is a linear, saturated, mono-unsaturated, or poly-unsaturated, alkyl chain ranging in length from 2 to 30 carbon atoms;

R 2 is a linear, saturated, mono-unsaturated, or poly-unsaturated, alkyl chain ranging in length from 2 to 30 carbon atoms;

Y is either nothing or a spacer group ranging in length from 2 to 30 atoms;

X is a physiologically acceptable monomer, dimer, oligomer or polymer wherein x is a glycosaminoglycan; and

n is a number from 1 to 1000;

wherein if Y is nothing the phosphatidylserine is directly linked to X via an amide bond and if Y is a spacer, said spacer is directly linked to X via an amide or an esteric bond and to said phosphatidylserine via an amide bond.

7. The method of claim 1 , whereby said obstructive respiratory disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said physiologically acceptable polymer is heparin.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said phosphatidylethanolamine is dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said phosphatidylethanolamine is dimyristoyl phosphatidylethanolamine.

11. A method of treating a subject suffering from an obstructive respiratory disease, comprising the step of administering to a subject in need thereof a compound represented by the structure of the general formula (I):

wherein

R 1 is a linear, saturated, mono-unsaturated, or poly-unsaturated, alkyl chain ranging in length from 2 to 30 carbon atoms;

R 2 is a linear, saturated, mono-unsaturated, or poly-unsaturated, alkyl chain ranging in length from 2 to 30 carbon atoms;

Y is either nothing or a spacer group ranging in length from 2 to 30 atoms;

X is hyaluronic acid; and

n is a number from 1 to 1,000;

wherein if Y is nothing the phosphatidylethanolamine is directly linked to X via an amide bond and if Y is a spacer, said spacer is directly linked to X via an amide or an esteric bond and to said phosphatidylethanolamine via an amide bond in an amount effective to treat said subject suffering from an obstructive respiratory disease.