Cholesterol byproduct boosts spread of breast cancer

CHICAGO, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- A study by the University of Illinois (UI) researchers found that a byproduct of cholesterol metabolism acts on specific immune cells so that they facilitate the cancer's spread instead of stopping it.
The cholesterol byproduct is a molecule called 27HC.
UI researchers fed mice with breast cancer tumors a diet high in cholesterol, and confirmed that high levels of cholesterol increased tumor growth and metastasis, and that mice treated with cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins had less metastasis.
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