Discovery and evaluation of inhibitors of human sphingosine kinase.

Sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes control the dynamic balance of the cellular levels of bioactive lipids, including the proapoptotic compound ceramide and the proliferative compound sphingosine 1-phosphate. Accumulating evidence indicates that sphingosine kinase (SK) plays a pivotal role in regulating tumor growth and that SK can act as an oncogene. Despite the importance of SK for cell proliferation, pharmacological inhibition of SK is an untested means of treating cancer because of the current lack of nonlipid inhibitors of this enzyme.