New argument against excess cholesterol: LDL promotes the migration and spread of cancer cells, according to a recent study.
Bad cholesterol, enemy of metabolism, of the heart… but friend of cancers. According to a study published on May 7 in Cell Reports, LDL cholesterol promotes the spread of cancer cells in the body.
Cell migration is regulated in particular by bad cholesterol. As study author Thomas Grewal explains, “Most of the cells in our body bind to neighboring cells using Velcro-like surface molecules. These are the integrins. But these integrins also help cancer cells that have separated from a tumor to take root elsewhere. The higher the LDL cholesterol levels, the more cancer cells can spread. In contrast, HDL maintains integrins in cells, which can prevent their spread.
This is not the first time that excess cholesterol has been linked to more serious cancer. Last November, a study in Science suggested that too much cholesterol promotes the progression and growth of cells in breast cancer.
Studying in detail how integrins move, the researchers noted that cholesterol is needed to fix them. But until then, they couldn’t determine its origin, or how to manipulate it to fight cancer. And the inhibitors already available offer poor results. The best solution is to advise any patient with high cholesterol to adopt a more balanced diet.
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