What role do omega-6 fatty acids play in cardiovascular disease and diabetes? Scientists from Mannheim, together with researchers from Heidelberg, Frankfurt and Hangzhou in China, have investigated the breakdown of omega-6 fatty acids and gained new insights into how their oxidation products influence the metabolism. Under the leadership of Professor Dr. Jens Kroll from the European Center for Angioscience (ECAS) of the Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, the researchers identified a breakdown product of omega-6 fatty acids and developed a model in zebrafish to examine the undesirable effects of this oxidation product, known as tt-DDE (for trans,trans-2,4-decadienal).