SPP 1267: Sphingolipids - Signals and Disease
Biology
Final Report Abstract
Until the late 1980s, sphingolipids were believed to be structural components of the cell membrane that were not important for signal transduction. This view has changed completely within recent years, and it has now been established that sphingolipids are essential regulators of many fundamental cellular processes, such as proliferation, survival, cell death, adhesion, migration, angiogenesis, and embryogenesis. The aims of the project were, 1) to study the regulation and function of sphingolipids by identifying and characterizing receptors and novel signaling pathways that mediate cellular effects of sphingolipids; 2) to focus on the role of sphingolipids in diseases, in particular diseases of the cardio-renovascular system, neuropsychiatric diseases, inflammatory and infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders; and, 3) to transfer these insights into new treatment approaches. These aims were achieved, several novel discoveries were made and published in a total of 116 publications, several international meetings were organized and established and young scientists were promoted. In summary, the project clearly established and promoted the field of Biomedicine of Sphingolipids in Germany, provided scientific excellence and was instrumental to establish an internationally well-recognized and leading position of German groups in the field of the "Biomedicine of Sphingolipids". Novel discoveries were in particular made in the fields of analysis of sphingolipids, signaling of sphingolipids, regulation of sphingolipid metabolism, cardiovascular effects of sphingolipids, functions of sphingolipids in neuropsychiatric diseases, metabolic disorders, the immune system and infections.
