The mammalian sulfated glycolipid sulfatide : synthesis and biological implications

Sulfatide is one of the most relevant endogenous acidic glycolipids found in mammal membranes, ubiquitously present in various tissues. The review will briefly introduce the physiopathological role of sulfatide, then focusing mainly on synthetic aspects related to the preparation of this molecule and of analogues thereof, as tools to better understand its biological role, its involvement in pathogenesis and to stimulate the research towards development of new derivatives for biomedical applications.