Sphingolipidomics analysis of large clinical cohorts. Part 2: Potential impact and applications

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2018-10, Vol.504 (3), p.602-607
• Main Authors: Chong, Joyce R., Xiang, Ping, Wang, Wei, Hind, Tatsuma, Chew, Wee Siong, Ong, Wei-Yi, Lai, Mitchell K.P., Herr, Deron R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Autoimmune disease; BIOLOGICAL MARKERS; BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS; Cancer; Ceramide; Dementia; Lipidomics; METABOLIC DISEASES; NEOPLASMS; NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES; Neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2); Sphingolipid; Sphingomyelin; Sphingomyelinase; SPHINGOMYELINS; Sphingosine-1-phosphate; Stroke
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.04.075

It has been known for decades that the regulation of sphingolipids (SLs) is essential for the proper function of many cellular processes. However, a complete understanding of these processes has been complicated by the structural diversity of these lipids. A well-characterized metabolic pathway is responsible for homeostatic maintenance of hundreds of distinct SL species. This pathway is perturbed in a number of pathological processes, resulting in derangement of the “sphingolipidome.” Recently, advances in mass spectrometry (MS) techniques have made it possible to characterize the sphingolipidome in large-scale clinical studies, allowing for the identification of specific SL molecules that mediate pathological processes and/or may serve as biomarkers. This manuscript provides an overview of the functions of SLs, and reviews previous studies that have used MS techniques to identify changes to the sphingolipidome in non-metabolic diseases. •Sphingolipids have diverse biological roles in essentially every eukaryotic cell.•An understanding of these roles is improving due to advances in mass spectrometry.•Resulting sphingolipidomic profiles are becoming increasingly detailed.•This improves our understanding of disease and identifies potential biomarkers.•This review discusses biomedical applications of sphingolipidomics.