Program Leader
Lina Obeid, MD 

The scientific focus of the Lipid Signaling in Cancer (LSC) research program is to develop a sophisticated understanding of critical and novel lipid-mediated signaling pathways in oncogenesis and stress responses that will enable the elucidation of cancer pathogenesis and mechanisms of therapeutics. 

This cutting edge research into novel pathways sets the stage for the development of unique molecules that modify these signaling pathways and can serve as conceptual and practical tools in translational therapeutic development. Thus, the specific scientific themes are focused on defining the role of bioactive lipids in cancer biology and defining the role of specific enzymes of lipid metabolism as novel targets for cancer prevention and therapy.

The LSC program is a unique and focused program that has fostered strong interactions between members of the program and with members of other programs at the Hollings Cancer Center (HCC).  The program is comprised of a core of ‘lipidologists’ with strong interests in cancer, and a complementary group of cancer biologists whose research has led them to investigate the roles of lipids in cancer and the emergence of novel targets for cancer therapy and prevention based on enzymes of lipid metabolism and/or targets of lipid action. 

The LSC program is unique in its international preeminence in the study of lipid and sphingolipid signaling in cancer.  This is largely the result of the laboratory teams of Dr. Yusuf A. Hannun, HCC Associate Director of Basic Sciences and Ralph F. Hirschmann Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Dr. Lina M. Obeid, Boyle Professor of Medicine and LSC Program Leader.  They have set the stage for the study of bioactive lipids and cancer. And with their colleagues in this area, have fostered the development of a large number of collaborations within the membership of the LSC program.

These investigators have clearly demonstrated the importance of ceramide, sphingosine 1-phosphate, and other lipid mediators in both the growth and death of specific tumor cell types, including head and neck, prostate, colon cancer, breast cancer and leukemia.  Their studies have led to the identification of ceramidase, sphingosine kinase-1, sphingomyelinase, ceramide synthases, and other enzymes as key regulators of cancer cell death, growth, angiogenesis, inflammation and response to chemotherapy. 

This work has also led to the development of novel molecules that target these pathways and therefore regulate apoptosis, angiogenesis and survival.  In turn, these approaches lead to defining these enzymes (e.g., acid ceramidase, sphingosine kinase) as novel targets in cancer chemotherapy and chemoprevention. The novel molecules developed by these investigators are serving as lead molecules in therapeutic development and chemoprevention.

The LSC program consists of 15 members with research grants totaling $6.8M.

Research Program:

Cancer Cell Signaling

Lipid Signaling in Cancer Members