Cholesterol lowering: role in cancer prevention and treatment

Abstract

The accumulation of cholesterol is a general feature of cancer tissue, and recent evidence suggests that cholesterol plays critical roles in the progression of cancers, including breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. The dysregulation of metabolic pathways, including those involved in cholesterol biosynthesis, is implicated in tumor development and cancer progression. Lipid rafts are highly dynamic cholesterol-enriched domains of the cell membrane, involved in various cellular functions, including the regulation of transmembrane signaling at the cell surface. It was recently demonstrated that lipid rafts also play critical roles in cancer cell adhesion and migration. This review focuses on our current understanding of how cholesterol regulation, lipid rafts, and dysregulated cholesterol biosynthesis contribute to cancer development and progression, and the therapeutic potential of cholesterol lowering for cancer prevention and treatment.