ISSN: 1449-2288International Journal of Biological Sciences
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Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20(6):2044-2071. doi:10.7150/ijbs.92274 This issue Cite
Review
Cholesterol metabolism in tumor microenvironment: cancer hallmarks and therapeutic opportunities
1. Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, P. R. China.
2. Institute of Cancer Neuroscience, Medical Frontier Innovation Research Center, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China.
3. Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei 230022, P. R. China.
Abstract
Cholesterol is crucial for cell survival and growth, and dysregulation of cholesterol homeostasis has been linked to the development of cancer. The tumor microenvironment (TME) facilitates tumor cell survival and growth, and crosstalk between cholesterol metabolism and the TME contributes to tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Targeting cholesterol metabolism has demonstrated significant antitumor effects in preclinical and clinical studies. In this review, we discuss the regulatory mechanisms of cholesterol homeostasis and the impact of its dysregulation on the hallmarks of cancer. We also describe how cholesterol metabolism reprograms the TME across seven specialized microenvironments. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of targeting cholesterol metabolism as a therapeutic strategy for tumors. This approach not only exerts antitumor effects in monotherapy and combination therapy but also mitigates the adverse effects associated with conventional tumor therapy. Finally, we outline the unresolved questions and suggest potential avenues for future investigations on cholesterol metabolism in relation to cancer.
Keywords: antitumor immunity, cholesterol homeostasis, drug repurposing, metastasis, statin, tumor microenvironment
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