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Illustration Credit: Scientific Frontline |
UCLA researchers have described a previously unknown step in the complex process by which dietary cholesterol is processed in the intestines before being released into the bloodstream – potentially revealing a new pathway to target in cholesterol treatment.
Although an existing drug and statins impact part of the process, an experimental drug being studied in UCLA research labs appears to specifically target the newfound pathway, possibly adding a new approach to the cholesterol management toolbox.
“Our results show that certain proteins in the Aster family play a critical role in moving cholesterol through the absorption and uptake process,” said Dr. Peter Tontonoz, a UCLA professor and researcher in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Biological Chemistry, senior author of an article in Science. “The Aster pathway appears to be a potentially attractive target for limiting intestinal cholesterol absorption and reducing levels of plasma cholesterol.”
Cholesterol from food is absorbed by cells that line the inner surface of the intestines – enterocytes – where it is processed into droplets that eventually reach the bloodstream. But this journey involves a multistep process.