Another danger of cholesterol
Why Cholesterol Stimulates Breast Cancer
But the specific mechanism of this relationship has become known only now, after the experiments of Donald McDonnell and his collaborators from Duke University (USA).
In the journal Science, researchers report that it's not the cholesterol itself, but its byproduct – 27-hydroxycholesterol, or 27NS (Nelson et al., 27-Hydroxycholesterol Links Hypercholesterolemia and Breast Cancer Pathophysiology).
This derivative of cholesterol, as it turned out, acts like the female sex hormone estrogen – and it is known about estrogen that in 75% of cases of tumors it stimulates their growth.
Scientists have found a link between the activity of the enzyme that produces 27-hydroxycholesterol and the aggressiveness of the tumor: the more this enzyme was, the more active the cancer behaved. Moreover, it is not at all necessary that the 27NS is formed only at the site of the tumor: it can easily reach malignant tissues from other locations of the body. However, tumors themselves can synthesize the necessary enzyme, providing themselves with a growth stimulant.
In addition, it turned out that an increased level of 27NS may be the cause of tumor resistance to many anti-cancer drugs, among which the authors of the work call tamoxifen.
The experiments were performed on mice, however, according to their authors, these results can be easily extended to the human body. So now doctors who have to fight this type of cancer have two potential targets – an enzyme that converts cholesterol into a dangerous metabolite, and 27-hydroxycholesterol itself.
However, even when chemotherapy is improved taking into account new data, this will not cancel the main recommendation for patients – to try to keep their cholesterol "in check" by all means.
Prepared based on the materials of Medical Xpress: High cholesterol fuels the growth and spread of breast cancer.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru02.12.2013