Human acid ceramidase is overexpressed but not mutated in prostate cancer

Combined therapeutic use of AdGFPFasL and small molecule inhibitors of ceramide metabolism in prostate and head and neck cancers: a status report

“…We now know by Western blotting that 67% of our prostate tumor samples have upregulated expression of acid ceramidase while 70% of HNSCC do (Figure 3a and b). Thus, these preliminary data substantiate the earlier observation by Seelan et al 36 that many of these tumors have the potential for exhibiting an anti-apoptotic phenotype via deacylation of ceramide by lysosomal acid ceramidase.…”

“…In 2000, a paper by Seelan et al 36 was published demonstrating that acid ceramidase (an enzyme that occurs in the lysosome and plasma membrane), is upregulated at the mRNA level in 42% percent of prostate cancer tumors. As the Gleason grade increases this percentage also increases, suggesting acid ceramidase expression is linked to tumor severity.…”

New insights on the use of desipramine as an inhibitor for acid ceramidase

“…(C) Effect of the protease inhibitors leupeptin, CA074, and pepstatin A on acid ceramidase protein levels following a 6 h treatment with 10 lM desipramine. since acid ceramidase has been shown to be over-expressed in cancer and to play an important role in mediating resistance to chemotherapeutics [18,19,22].…”

“…Although the literature on acid ceramidase is limited compared to acid sphingomyelinase, accumulating evidence suggests that acid ceramidase is over-expressed in cancer and that its over-expression mediates resistance to apoptosis induction [18,19]. Therefore, interest on developing and testing Fig.…”

Akt2 and acid ceramidase cooperate to induce cell invasion and resistance to apoptosis

“…[22][23][24] SPHK1 is known to activate Akt 25 and is itself subject to activating phosphorylation. 26 ASAH1 is upregulated in many cancers, particularly prostate cancer, 27 and is believed to have an important role in tumor promotion. For instance, in prostate cancer cells, stable overexpression of ASAH1 stimulates cell proliferation and cell invasion and confers resistance to apoptosis.…”