Ceramidase Inhibitors

Ceramidases (EC 3.5.1.23) are a group of enzymes which catalyze the hydrolysis of ceramides to produce sphingosine, which subsequently undergoes phosphorylation to generate sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Ceramide and its downstream products, sphingosine and S1P, are bioactive lipids that mediate various cellular processes including cell growth arrest, differentiation and apoptosis.

The expression of ceramides increases in response to stressful stimuli, such as proapoptotic cytokines, cancer ...