LAUSR

Ceramides are bioactive sphingolipids, comprised of sphingosine and a fatty acyl chain. They have been recognized as key mediators of lipotoxicity; a phenomenon where excess fat in adipose tissue leads to de novo synthesis of ceramides and their precursor dihydroceramides (DHCer). This occurs in adipose tissue as well as in the periphery. Accumulation of these ceramides is associated with insulin resistance, de novo lipogenesis, and inflammation1 , thus increasing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and atherosclerosis. Recently, in this journal, Hannish and colleagues reported that another, non-canonical class of ceramides, the 1-deoxyceramides (DoxCer), is highly enriched in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) as well as in serum of obese patients with T2D2 . This study also clarified previously-reported discrepancies in the literature concerning the association of DHCer with the risk of T2D, as the signals from DHCer can be easily confused with the signals from DoxCer in mass spectrometric (MS) analysis of lipids.