With advancements in detection and analytical
methods for lipids of different species, our understanding of their biological
roles in health and disease has opened up new avenues for investigation. It is
no surprise that many of these bioactive lipids have been found to affect the
function of multiple cell types comprising the vascular system from cells
forming the vessel wall (endothelial and smooth muscle) to blood cells (RBCs,
WBCs and platelets), all contributing to cardiovascular physiology and
pathology. Recently, an important role has been established for sphingolipids,
a group most known for ceramide subspecies, sphingosine and
sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P).
Numerous translational and clinical studies have
established a role for sphingolipids in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart
disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes and other etiological conditions for
cardiovascular disease. There are two FDA approved medications targeting the
S1P receptors already, with more in later phases of development. This marks an
important timestamp for discussions on cutting-edge science of sphingolipid
physiology.
The symposium will cover the deleterious effects
ceramides have on cardiovascular homeostasis, the risk they pose for vascular
disease and the targeted treatment potential. The discussion will switch to
blood pressure regulation by sphingolipids, in particular S1P, and the part its
receptors play in the pathophysiology of hypertension. Finally, the importance
of the sphingolipid rheostat will be discussed, followed by novelties in S1P
signaling pathway in the human vasculature.
By bringing together a prominent group of
scientists, spanning both basic and translational research, this symposium
presents the discoveries and challenges in the field of sphingolipid
physiology, thus laying the foundation for a broader understanding of the
complexities of these molecules and their signaling axes in the context of
vascular biology as well as where to direct efforts to expand on these
findings.