Abstract: Provided are methods for treating diseases, disorders, and conditions associated with undesirable cellular proliferation in subjects in need thereof. In some embodiments, the methods include administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of a chemotherapeutic agent and a short chain ceramide. Also provided are methods for increasing total ceramide levels in cells, for increasing long chain ceramide to a very long chain ceramide ratios in cells, methods for enhancing apoptosis of cells, for prognosing subjects with diseases, disorders, and conditions associated with undesirable cellular proliferation with respect to treatments, for increasing sensitivities of drug-resistant tumor and/or cancer cells to chemotherapeutics, and compositions that have one or more short chain ceramides and one or more chemotherapeutically active agents.

Abstract: Provided are methods for treating cancers and/or tumors in subjects. In some embodiments, the methods include administering to a subject an effective amount of a ceramide nanoliposome (CNL), wherein the CNL has a lipid bilayer that includes one or more C2-C24 ceramides and encapsulates one or more anti-cancer and/or anti-tumor agents. Also provided are methods for treating cancers and/or tumors associated with receptor tyrosine kinase or nuclear receptor activities, methods for treating Prostate Cancer, methods for inhibiting growth of EGFR-dependent cancers and/or tumors, methods for inhibiting growth of androgen receptor negative cells, method for reducing or eliminating androgen receptor negative cells from subject, CNLs that encapsulate one or more anti-cancer and/or anti-tumor agents, wherein the CNLs include a lipid bilayer that has one or more C2-C24 ceramides, and pharmaceutical compositions that include the disclosed CNLs.