A new article published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences reported that bioactive sphingolipid metabolite – sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), and the signaling pathways triggered by its binding to specific G protein-coupled receptors play a critical regulatory role in many pathophysiological processes, including skeletal muscle and nervous system degeneration.

However, the signaling transduced by S1P binding appears to be much more complex than previously thought, with important implications for clinical applications and for personalized medicine.

The authors stated that the understanding of S1P/S1P receptor signaling functions in specific compartmentalized locations of the cell is worthy of being better investigated, because in various circumstances it might be crucial for the development or/and the progression of neuromuscular diseases, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, myasthenia gravis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Source: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2019 Dec 17;20(24). pii: E6364. doi: 10.3390/ijms20246364