Ceramide derivatives for therapeutic agents

Abstract

Ceramide is a lipid which consisting of fatty acid and sphingosine with an amide bond. The signalling roles of ceramide, sphingosine, and their derivatives are receiving a great deal of attention in the biochemical and biomedical research field. The design of ceramide derivatives that block cell adhesion and mimic several ceramide activities have led to the possibility of use as therapeutics in the treatment of cancer, allergy, and other diseases originating from cell regulation disorders. This review summarises developments in the design of the ceramide related compounds for therapeutic use in recent years.

• antitumour
• apoptosis
• cell adhesion
• ceramide
• α-galactosylceramide
• glycosylceramide
• sphingosine