High cholesterol fuels the growth and spread of breast cancer A lot of studies have shown a connection between obesity and breast cancer, and specifically that elevated cholesterol is associated with breast cancer risk, but no mechanism has been identified, said senior author Donald McDonnell, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke. What we have now found is a molecule – not cholesterol itself, but an abundant metabolite of cholesterol – called 27HC that mimics the hormone estrogen and can independently drive the growth of breast cancer. Published in the journal Science, the findings are early, using mouse models and tumor cells. But the research for the first time explains the link between high cholesterol and breast cancer, especially in post-menopausal women, and suggests that dietary changes or therapies to reduce cholesterol may also offer a simple, accessible way to reduce breast cancer risk.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 16:09:41 +0000
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