Dietary glucosylceramides suppress tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by the inhibition of angiogenesis through an increase in ceramide

Background We previously reported that dietary glucosylceramides show cancer-prevention activity in a mouse xenograft model of human head and neck cancer cells (SCCKN). However, the mechanism was unclear. Ceramides, metabolites of glucosylceramides, induce apoptotic cell death in various malignancies. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effects of dietary glucosylceramides on tumor growth in vivo and in vitro.