The place of sphingosine-1-phosphate modulators in the therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases

Abstract

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) belongs to the group of biologically active sphingolipids. Because of its ability to regulate the migration of lymphocytes, S1P constitutes an important element of pathophysiology of several diseases, such as: lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis or inflammatory bowel diseases. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are the group of chronic and recurrent diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The most common among IBD are: Crohnâs disease and ulcerative colitis. Drugs that are currently used in the therapy of IBD alleviate symptoms, improve patientsâ quality of life and induce remission but their efficacy is not satisfactory. Modulators of S1P receptors constitu­te an emerging option in the therapy of IBD. In this review we will discuss the role of S1P, its receptor and enzymes that participate in the metabolism of S1P under physiological conditions and in the course of IBD. Moreover, we will sum up the results of preclinical and clinical studies on S1P receptors modulators in IBD.