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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy

Published on: January 31, 2025

Autophagy paradox and ceramide.

Wenhui Jiang¹, Besim Ogretmen¹

¹Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, 86 Jonathan Lucas Street, Room 512A, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 86 Jonathan Lucas Street, Room 512A, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta

|September 24, 2013

Summary

This review explores how ceramide (Cer), a key sphingolipid, regulates autophagy, a cellular process involved in survival and death. Understanding Cer

Keywords:

Autophagy Cell death Ceramide Mitophagy Sphingolipid

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Published on: November 22, 2017

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biochemistry
Cancer Research

Background:

Sphingolipids are bioactive lipid messengers regulating cellular signaling pathways.
Dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism is linked to human cancers.
Autophagy, or "self-eating," is a cellular process with roles in cell survival and death.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent studies on ceramide (Cer) regulation of autophagy.
To elucidate the mechanisms of Cer in controlling the autophagy paradox.
To highlight the roles of Cer in mediating opposing autophagic pathways.

Main Methods:

Literature review of recent studies on sphingolipid biology and autophagy.
Analysis of ceramide's role in cellular signaling and autophagy.
Synthesis of current understanding of the autophagy paradox.

Main Results:

Ceramide (Cer) is central to sphingolipid metabolism and implicated in autophagy control.
Cer mediates opposing autophagic pathways, influencing cell survival or death (autophagy paradox).
The precise mechanisms regulating the autophagy paradox by Cer are still under investigation.

Conclusions:

Ceramide plays a critical role in regulating the dual functions of autophagy.
Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms behind the ceramide-mediated autophagy paradox.
This understanding could have implications for cancer therapy.