title: A review of ceramide analogs as potential anticancer agents.
abstract: Ceramide serves as a central mediator in sphingolipid metabolism and signaling pathways, regulating many fundamental cellular responses. It is referred to as a 'tumor suppressor lipid', since it powerfully potentiates signaling events that drive apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and autophagic responses. In the typical cancer cell, ceramide levels and signaling are usually suppressed by overexpression of ceramide-metabolizing enzymes or downregulation of ceramide-generating enzymes. However, chemotherapeutic drugs as well as radiotherapy increase intracellular ceramide levels, while exogenously treating cancer cells with short-chain ceramides leads to anticancer effects. All evidence currently points to the fact that the upregulation of ceramide levels is a promising anticancer strategy. In this review, we exhibit many anticancer ceramide analogs as downstream receptor agonists and ceramide-metabolizing enzyme inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Xavier University of Louisiana, 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans, LA 70125, USA.
authors.forename: Jiawang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Barbara S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Beckman
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foroozesh
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D055572:Ceramidases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D002518:Ceramides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D000099157:Sphingosine Kinase
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D055572:Ceramidases; D002518:Ceramides; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); D000099157:Sphingosine Kinase; C023246:ceramide glucosyltransferase; C066324:ceramide kinase
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