Kati Kemppainen Kati Novel cancer-related regulatory targets for the signalling sphingolipids sphingosine-1-phosphate and sphingosylphosphorylcholine the signalling sphingolipids sphingosine-1-phosphate for targets regulatory cancer-related Novel Novel cancer-related regulatory targets for the signalling sphingolipids sphingosine-1-phosphate and sphingosylphosphorylcholine Kati Kemppainen Cell Biology Faculty of Science and Engineering ISBN 978-952-12-3380-7 (Print) Åbo Akademi University ISBN 978-952-12-3381-4 (Digital) Turku Doctoral Network in Molecular Biosciences (MolBio) Painosalama Oy – Turku, Finland Turku, Finland, 2016 2016 Novel cancer-related regulatory targets for the signalling sphingolipids sphingosine-1-phosphate and sphingosylphosphorylcholine Kati Kemppainen Cell Biology Faculty of Science and Engineering Åbo Akademi University Turku Doctoral Network in Molecular Biosciences (MolBio) Turku, Finland, 2016 Supervised by Professor Kid Törnquist, PhD Åbo Akademi University Tykistökatu 6, Biocity 20520 Turku, Finland
[email protected] Reviewed by Professor Vesa Olkkonen, PhD Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research Tukholmankatu 8, Biomedicum 2U 00290 Helsinki, Finland
[email protected] and Professor Ilpo Vattulainen, DTech University of Helsinki POB 64 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
[email protected] Opponent Academy professor Elina Ikonen; MD, PhD University of Helsinki Haartmaninkatu 8, Biomedicum 00290 Helsinki, Finland
[email protected] ISBN 978-952-12-3380-7 (Print) ISBN 978-952-12-3381-4 (Digital) Painosalama Oy – Turku, Finland Abstract Abstract The signalling sphingolipid sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is necessary for development of the immune system and vasculature and on a cellular level regulates migration, proliferation and survival. Due to these traits S1P has an important role in cancer biology. It is considered a primarily cancer-promoting factor and the enzyme which produces it, sphingosine kinase (SphK), is often over-expressed in tumours.