The phosphorylated form of ceramide, ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P), induces inflammatory pathways leading to conditions associated with arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, lung and colon cancers and Alzheimer's disease.

In vivo studies of the substrate specificity of the enzyme catalyzing the phosphorylation of ceramide conducted by researchers fom the Virginia Commonwealth University suggest that ceramide kinase (CERK) could be a novel target for the development of a new generation of anti-inflammatory/anti-trauma therapeutics. The structural characterization of CERK published in the December issue of the Journal of Lipid Research (abstract available) "lay the groundwork for a rationale design of inhibitors for CERK", according to lead author Charles E. Chalfant, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry at VCU.

"The inhibition of CERK would have the added benefit of shutting down the entire inflammatory pathway possibly alleviating side-effects caused by the medications such as Vioxx, which was recently withdrawn from the pharmaceutical market."

Source: VCU News