2. Academic Validation
  3. Role of sphingolipid metabolism in neurodegeneration

Role of sphingolipid metabolism in neurodegeneration

  • J Neurochem. 2021 Jul;158(1):25-35. doi: 10.1111/jnc.15044.
Manal Alaamery 1 2 3,  Nour Albesher 1 2 3,  Nora Aljawini 1 2 3,  Moneera Alsuwailm 1 2 3,  Salam Massadeh 1 2 3,  Michael A Wheeler 4,  Chun-Cheih Chao 4,  Francisco J Quintana 4 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 KACST-BWH Center of Excellence for Biomedicine, Joint Centers of Excellence Program, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • 2 Developmental Medicine Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • 3 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • 4 Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
  • 5 Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
PMID: 32402091 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15044
Abstract

Sphingolipids are a class of lipids highly enriched in the central nervous system (CNS), which shows great diversity and complexity, and has been implicated in CNS development and function. Alterations in sphingolipid metabolism have been described in multiple diseases, including those affecting the central nervous system (CNS). In this review, we discuss the role of sphingolipid metabolism in neurodegeneration, evaluating its direct roles in neuron development and health, and also in the induction of neurotoxic activities in CNS-resident astrocytes and microglia in the context of neurologic diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Finally, we focus on the metabolism of gangliosides and sphingosine-1-phosphate, its contribution to the pathogenesis of neurologic diseases, and its potential as a candidate target for the therapeutic modulation of neurodegeneration.

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