Resumen
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) suffer a lifelong disease of gastrointestinal inflammation. Furthermore, those with IBD demonstrate high risk in developing colorectal cancer (CRC). Rising cases of pediatric and adult onset IBD highlight a growing concern for addressing and alleviating inflammation to not only improve quality of life, but also curb the development of CRC. Disrupted sphingolipid metabolism has been implicated in the promotion of inflammation in IBD, creating an environment favoring the development of CRC. This has led to the examination of enzymes and receptors in sphingolipid metabolism as therapeutic targets for IBD and CRC. This review discusses modulators of key sphingolipid targets and their potential in attenuating gastrointestinal inflammation from cell culture models to patient trials.