Synthetic, Non-Natural Analogs of Ceramide Elevate Cellular Ceramide, Inducing Apoptotic Death to Prostate Cancer Cells and Eradicating Tumors in Mice

ABSTRACT

The anticancer effects of synthetic, non-natural analogs of ceramide were tested using human TSU-Pr1 prostate cancer cells in-vitro as well as in-vivo, following their effects on tumors development in mice. When incubated with the cultured cancer cells, the analogs elevated cellular ceramide and induced a cytotoxicity and death by apoptosis. When a ceramide analog was injected intradermally or intraperitoneally into BALB/c-Nude or NOD-SCID mice bearing a human prostate tumor, a considerable regression of the tumor was observed. The synthetic ceramide analogs should thus be further investigated as potential anticancer drugs.

Keywords: :

• Sphingolipids
• Ceramide
• Cancer
• Prostate
• Apoptosis