Cancers, Vol. 12, Pages 475: Are Glucosylceramide-Related Sphingolipids Involved in the Increased Risk for Cancer in Gaucher Disease Patients? Review and Hypotheses

Cancers, Vol. 12, Pages 475: Are Glucosylceramide-Related Sphingolipids Involved in the Increased Risk for Cancer in Gaucher Disease Patients? Review and Hypotheses Cancers doi: 10.3390/cancers12020475 Authors: Patricia Dubot Leonardo Astudillo Nicole Therville Frédérique Sabourdy Jérôme Stirnemann Thierry Levade Nathalie Andrieu-Abadie The roles of ceramide and its catabolites, i.e., sphingosine and sphingosine 1-phosphate, in the development of malignancies and the response to anticancer regimens have been extensively described. Moreover, an abundant literature points to the effects of glucosylceramide synthase, the mammalian enzyme that converts ceramide to β-glucosylceramide, in protecting tumor cells from chemotherapy. Much less is known about the contribution of β-glucosylceramide and its breakdown products in cancer progression. In this chapter, we first review published and personal clinical observations that report on the increased risk of developing cancers in patients affected with Gaucher disease, an inborn disorder characterized by defective lysosomal degradation of β-glucosylceramide. The previously described mechanistic links between lysosomal β-glucosylceramidase, β-glucosylceramide and/or β-glucosylphingosine, and various hallmarks of cancer are reviewed. We further show that melanoma tumor growth is facilitated in a Gaucher disease mouse model. Finally, the ...
Source: Cancers - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research