June 17, 2014

Potential Cholesterol Lowering Drug Has Breast Cancer Fighting Capabilities, MU Researcher Finds



Researcher suggests human clinical trials are necessary for cholesterol-fighting compound

Researchers at the University of Missouri have proven that a compound initially developed as a cholesterol-fighting molecule not only halts the progression of breast cancer, but also can kill the cancerous cells.

“Cholesterol is a molecule found in all animal cells and serves as a structural component of cell membranes,” said Salman Hyder, the Zalk Endowed Professor in Tumor Angiogenesis and professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center at MU. “Because tumor cells grow rapidly they need to synthesize more cholesterol. Scientists working to cure breast cancer often seek out alternative targets that might slow or stop the progression of the disease, including the elimination of the cancerous cells. In our study, we targeted the production of cholesterol in cancer cells leading to death of breast cancer cells.”