Chemical tools for analysis and manipulation of ceramidases in human disease

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christoph Arenz
• Subject Area: Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry
• Term: from 2021 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 457290043

Ceramidases are enzymes that cleave the signal lipid ceramide. They play an important role in numerous physiological and pathological processes. However, their activity is difficult to analyse and there are hardly any inhibitors as biochemical tools or even as pharmacological drug candidates. In this project specific probes for individual ceramidases will be developed and validated and used to develop inhibitors for these enzymes. The suitability of these probes for flow cytometry will be tested and appropriate methods for a simple and reliable analysis of these activities will be developed in order to advance this subject of research in a significant way.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants