New insights on the role of ceramide 1-phosphate in inflammation

Antonio Gomez-Muñoz, Patricia Gangoiti, Lide Arana, Alberto Ouro, Io Guané Rivera, Marta Ordoñez, Miguel Trueba

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

Inflammation is a complex biological process involving a variety of locally produced molecules, as well as different types of white blood cells. Some of the so-called inflammatory mediators include cytokines, chemokines, interleukins, prostaglandins, or bioactive lipids, all of which provide protection from infection and foreign substances, such as bacteria, yeast, viruses or some chemicals. Under some circumstances, however, the organism inappropriately activates the immune system triggering an inflammatory response in the absence of foreign insults thereby leading to the establishment of autoimmune diseases. Therefore, inflammation must be tightly regulated in order to ensure sufficient protection to the organism in the absence of unwanted, and at times dangerous, side effects. Increasing experimental evidence implicates sphingolipids as major inducers of inflammatory responses and regulators of immune cell functions. In particular, ceramides and sphingosine 1-phosphate have been extensively implicated in inflammation, and ceramide 1-phosphate has also been shown to participate in these processes. The present review highlights novel aspects on the regulation of inflammation by sphingolipids, with special emphasis to the role played by ceramide 1-phoshate and ceramide kinase, the enzyme responsible for its biosynthesis, in inflammatory responses.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1060-1066
Number of pages7
JournalBiochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids
Volume1831
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jun 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Cell migration
  • Cell survival
  • Ceramide
  • Ceramide 1-phosphate
  • Inflammation
  • Sphingolipid

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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