title: Acid ceramidase inhibition: a novel target for cancer therapy.
abstract: During the last decade, sphingolipid deregulation, namely the balance between the pro-apoptotic molecule ceramide and the anti-apoptotic sphingolipid sphingosine-1-phosphate, has emerged as an important factor in cancer pathology and resistance to therapy. Thus, our research has been focused on developing drugs that are able to restore normal sphingolipid balance, precisely through increasing the levels of ceramide and decreasing sphingosine-1-phosphate. Particularly, inhibition of the ceramide metabolizing enzyme acid ceramidase, whose over-expression in cancer cells has been implicated in resistance to treatment, is proving to be an efficient and promising strategy. In this review, we consider our recent work with acid ceramidase inhibitors, in combination with radiation or gene therapy as a sensitizer that enhance cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elojeimy
authors.forename: Lorianne S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Ayman E M
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Mahdy
authors.forename: Youssef H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zeidan
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bielawska
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bielawski
authors.forename: Jian-Yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Ahmed M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: El-Zawahry
authors.forename: Gui-wen
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yusuf A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Hannun
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Holman
authors.forename: Semyon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rubinchik
authors.forename: Zdzislaw
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szulc
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.forename: Mahvash
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tavassoli
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Norris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017727:Chicken anemia virus / Q000235:genetics; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002517:Galactosylgalactosylglucosylceramidase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D002517:Galactosylgalactosylglucosylceramidase