[The drug development based on sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling pathway].

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive sphingolipid produced by the metabolism of sphingomyelin, regulates cell proliferation, migration, survival and cell-cell contacts. The sphingosine-1- phosphate signaling pathway can regulate the trafficking of lymphocyte, angiogenesis, the progress of cancer and many other cellular functions. The formation of S1P is catalyzed by sphingosine kinases (SPHK), and degraded by lyases(S1PL), therefore S1P level is subject to a dynamic balance in the physiological environment. S1P can act as a second messenger or couple with S1P receptors (S1PR) to exert effects. The targets in the S1P signaling pathway have received considerable attention. Here we review the physiological function and drug development of S1P signaling pathway.