Treating glucosphingolipid disorders by chemotherapy: use of approved drugs and over-the-counter remedies.

The accumulation of a glucosphingolipid (GSL) in individuals lacking an adequate level of hydrolase activity could be minimized by chemotherapeutic measures that slow the formation of the GSL and stimulate the defective hydrolase. By achieving a balance in the rates of formation and breakdown, one should be able to alleviate the symptoms of excess storage and achieve a satisfactory accommodation. While several drugs seem to be specifically suitable for this purpose, only one of these has been approved for human use. However, less effective drugs and over-the-counter substances are available for human use and may prove satisfactory for a few years until better ones are made available. The proposed materials and the evidence behind the recommendations are presented in this paper.