This volume presents information on both the basic and clinical aspects of sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes in various cancers. The volume also includes discussions of the innovative techniques and approaches for quantitative analysis and imaging that could significantly impact the general understanding of this topic, and the potential benefit of targeting sphingolipid enzymes to develop novel cancer therapeutics. As well, the volume includes a critical examination of the specific pathways and pathobiologies associated with the altered regulation of sphingolipid metabolism as a contributor to the development and/or maintenance of pathological conditions such as cancer.

Lipids are functionally versatile molecules. They have evolved from relatively simple hydrocarbons that serve as depot storages of metabolites and barriers to the permeation of solutes into complex compounds that perform a variety of signalling functions in higher organisms. This volume is devoted to the polar lipids and their constituents. We have omitted the neutral lipids like fats and oils because their function is generally to act as deposits of metabolizable substrates. The sterols are also outside the scope of the present volume and the reader is referred to volume 28 of this series which is the subject of cholesterol. The polar lipids are comprised of fatty acids attached to either glycerol or sphingosine. The fatty acids themselves constitute an important reservoir of substrates for conversion into families of signalling and modulating molecules including the eicosanoids amongst which are the prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leucotrienes. The way fatty acid metabolism is regulated in the liver and how fatty acids are desaturated are subjects considered in the first part of this volume. This section also deals with the modulation of protein function and inflammation by unsaturated fatty acids and their derivatives. New insights into the role of fatty acid synthesis and eicosenoid function in tumour progression and metastasis are presented.

This book is about the various roles of bioactive ceramides and other sphingolipids in cellular biology. The enigmatic biophysical and biochemical properties of ceramides and their propensity to influence membranes whether as rafts or protein-permeable channels are heavily discussed. Metabolism of ceramides and their metabolites is also focused with ceramide synthase family of proteins being a target of extensive review. Ceramide 1-phosphate and other sphingolipids are also presented in cellular physiology and pathophysiology. Prokaryotic origins of mitochondria at the level of membranes and the occurrence of apoptosis in bacteria are presented. Many aspects of ceramide and sphingolipid biology are addressed in this book. Its focus is the metabolism of ceramide in normal and diseased states and the biophysical and biochemical mechanisms governing the bioactivity of these molecules. Sphingolipid research has surged over the past thirty years and this book gathers the recent findings of various aspects of sphingolipid biochemistry. World-renowned scientists from the field of lipid biology, specifically sphingolipid biochemistry, were gathered to write this book. Scholars from most continents of the globe committed to write diligently about their expertise and the newest findings in the relevant fields. This book came to fruition after almost a year and a half of laborious preparation and diligent writings. This book is targeted to the experienced reader who is looking to read about the various aspects of bioactive ceramide signaling, as well as to the newcomer into the field, as the topics are explained in concise yet very informative manner. The authors and editor wish all readers a pleasant time reading this volume, and are adamant that this book will meet all expectations.

This book attempts to analyze the latest discoveries in sphingolipid biology and how the alteration of their metabolism leads to altered signaling events and to the development of pathobiological disorders, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, diabetes, inflammation and infectious diseases.

This is the second volume of the Patent eBook Series titled Topics in Anti-Cancer Research. The eBook includes updated chapters on topics relevant to contemporary cancer research published in the journal, Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery. This volume covers scientific and patented novel chemotherapeutic agents and drugs for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and Ras/ Raf /MEK/ERK pathway, P1K, AKT and mTORC1/2 inhibitors, ATPase inhibitors for cancer therapy, and sphingomyelin biosynthesis which regulates cancer cell death and growth. Other chapters also explain research on biochemical regulation i.e. cell cycle and energy metabolism, the role of genetic variations of FcγRs gamma receptors in monoclonal antibody based anti-cancer therapy and effectiveness of antiangiogenic therapy, endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors and anti-angiogenic drugs for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma, prevention of cancer by ribonucleotide reductase, anticancer activity of Erlotinib in glioblastoma and the mechanisms of action of nanodrugs and nano-sized camptothecin drugs in cancer chemotherapy. The volume also covers recent studies in the field of onconutrition. The broad range of topics covered in this second volume will be of immense interest to clinicians, scientists and R&D experts seeking new targets for the prevention of cancer, novel oncogenic biomarkers, and methods for cancer therapy.

Sphingolipids in Cancer, Volume 140, the latest release in the Advances in Cancer Research series, provides invaluable information on the exciting and fast-moving field of cancer research. Topics discussed in this updated volume include Mechanisms of ceramide-dependent cancer cell death, Sphingolipids as regulators of autophagy and endocytic trafficking, The role and function of sphingomyelin biosynthesis in the development of cancer, Neutral sphingomyelinases in cancer: Friend or foe?, Sphingolipid rendezvous at the crossroad of NAFLD and senescence, Ceramide signaling and p53 pathways, Sphingolipid regulation of RNA Biology in cancer phenotypes, The role of ceramide-1-phosphate in tumor cell survival and dissemination, and more. - Provides information on cancer research, with this release focusing on sphingolipids - Offers outstanding and original reviews on a range of cancer research topics - Serves as an indispensable reference for researchers and students alike