Drug Development in the Field of Sphinogolipid Metabolism

Sphingolipids are the major lipid components on cellular membranes especially on lipid raft regions, intermediating various important biological functions for eukaryotic cells. Sphingolipid metabolism pathways can utilize sugar, protein, nucleic acid, and other metabolites participating lipid transport in the circulation, play an essential role in maintaining cell homeostasis and are related to a variety of different diseases including lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), Gaucher disease, etc. The dynamic balance of sphingolipid levels in organisms is regulated by a series of sphingolipid synthases, hydrolases, and metabolic enzymes, such as sphingomyelinase (SMase), sphingomyelin synthase (SMS), serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), ceramide synthase (CerS), glucosylceramide synthase (GCS), etc. Thus, sphingolipids and its related enzymes are potential targets for drug discoveries and receive great research interests by medicinal chemist. In this chapter, we will discuss the relationship between sphingolipids and the regulating enzymes involved in sphingolipid metabolisms, and systematically summarize the advances in the development of new drugs in the field.