Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM), a lipid hydrolase enzyme, has the potential to modulate various cellular activation responses via the generation of ceramide and by interaction with cellular receptors. We have hypothesized that ASM modulates CD4(+) T-cell receptor activation and impacts immune responses. We first observed interactions of ASM with the intracellular domains of both CD3 and CD28. ASM further mediates T-cell proliferation after anti-CD3/CD28 antibody stimulation and alters CD4(+) T-cell activation signals by generating ceramide. We noted that various pharmacological inhibitors of ASM or knockdown of ASM using small hairpin RNA inhibit CD3/CD28-mediated CD4(+) T-cell proliferation and activation. Furthermore, such blockade of ASM bioactivity by biochemical inhibitors and/or molecular-targeted knockdown of ASM broadly abrogate T-helper cell responses. In conclusion, we detail immune, pivotal roles of ASM in adaptive immune T-cell responses, and propose that these pathways might provide novel targets for the therapy of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
