Harnessing the power of sphingolipids: Prospects for acute myeloid leukemia Review


Authors: Ung, J.; Tan, S. F.; Fox, T. E.; Shaw, J. J. P.; Vass, L. R.; Costa-Pinheiro, P.; Garrett-Bakelman, F. E.; Keng, M. K.; Sharma, A.; Claxton, D. F.; Levine, R. L.; Tallman, M. S.; Cabot, M. C.; Kester, M.; Feith, D. J.; Loughran, T. P. Jr
Review Title: Harnessing the power of sphingolipids: Prospects for acute myeloid leukemia
Abstract: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive, heterogenous malignancy characterized by clonal expansion of bone marrow-derived myeloid progenitor cells. While our current understanding of the molecular and genomic landscape of AML has evolved dramatically and opened avenues for molecularly targeted therapeutics to improve upon standard intensive induction chemotherapy, curative treatments are elusive, particularly in older patients. Responses to current AML treatments are transient and incomplete, necessitating the development of novel treatment strategies to improve outcomes. To this end, harnessing the power of bioactive sphingolipids to treat cancer shows great promise. Sphingolipids are involved in many hallmarks of cancer of paramount importance in AML. Leukemic blast survival is influenced by cellular levels of ceramide, a bona fide pro-death molecule, and its conversion to signaling molecules such as sphingosine-1-phosphate and glycosphingolipids. Preclinical studies demonstrate the efficacy of therapeutics that target dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism as well as their combinatorial synergy with clinically-relevant therapeutics. Thus, increased understanding of sphingolipid dysregulation may be exploited to improve AML patient care and outcomes. This review summarizes the current knowledge of dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism in AML, evaluates how pro-survival sphingolipids promote AML pathogenesis, and discusses the therapeutic potential of targeting these dysregulated sphingolipid pathways. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
Keywords: therapeutics; ceramide; bcl-2; sphingosine-1-phosphate; mcl-1; sphingolipid dysregulation
Journal Title: Blood Reviews
Volume: 55
ISSN: 0268-960X
Publisher: Churchill Livingstone  
Date Published: 2022-09-01
Start Page: 100950
Language: English
DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2022.100950
PUBMED: 35487785
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Review -- Export Date: 2 September 2022 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Martin Stuart Tallman
    649 Tallman
  2. Ross Levine
    775 Levine