Starving Cancer Cells of Cholesterol Inhibits Tumor Growth and Improves Drug Sensitivity
PHILADELPHIA (September 3, 2015) – Drugs that target key proteins involved in cholesterol metabolism could represent a promising new treatment strategy for a broad range of cancers, according to research by Fox Chase Cancer Center investigators. The study, published September 3rd in Cell Reports, reveals that deficiency in the enzymes SC4MOL and NSDHL depletes cancer cells of cholesterol, thereby inhibiting tumor growth in a mouse model of skin cancer. Moreover, treatments that target this cholesterol pathway sensitize cancer cells to the effects of an FDA-approved drug used to treat several types of cancer.