**Cholesterol Lowering in Cancer Prevention and Therapy Cholesterol Lowering in Cancer Prevention and Therapy**

Chunfa Huang and Carl E. Freter Chunfa Huang and Carl E. Freter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/65025

#### **Abstract**

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1536–44.

106 Cholesterol Lowering Therapies and Drugs

1702–11.

The accumulation of cholesterol in cancer cells and tumor tissues promotes cell growth, proliferation, and migration as well as tumor progression. Cholesterol synthesis is catalyzed by a series of enzymatic reactions. Regulation of these key enzymes can control cholesterol synthesis and modulate cellular cholesterol levels in the cells. Meanwhile, controlling cholesterol transportation, absorption, and depletion could also significantly reduce cellular cholesterol levels. The current evidence supports that cholesterol lowering agents, beyond the expected cholesterol-lowering properties, also display an important anticancer activity in reducing cancer cell growth, proliferation and migration, and inducing apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells. Understanding the mechanisms of cholesterol metabolism and cholesterol lowering could potentially benefit cancer patients in cancer prevention and treatment.

**Keywords:** cholesterol metabolism, cholesterol-lowering agents, cancer, prevention, therapy
