The yins and yangs of ceramide.

Since their discovery over 100 years ago, sphingolipids have caught the eyes and the imagination of scientists. Modern science has made many new insights on the cell biology and day-to-day functions of many integral sphingolipids, especially those of ceramide. Ceramide is recognized as a vital second messenger in the signal transduction process mediated by receptors of many cytokines and growth factors. A great part of our current understanding of ceramide has been achieved from apoptosis-related studies, however recent data in the fields of immunology, endocrinology and neurobiology, also suggest a fundamental involvement of ceramide in the onset of diseases. Therefore, understanding the biology of ceramide could be a key to unraveling many biological mechanisms and provide information for the treatment of some common diseases.