Is ‘bad’ cholesterol to blame for cancer growth?

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In a world-first, University of Sydney scientists have discovered one of the main reasons behind why cancer spreads throughout the body – with the help of ‘bad’ cholesterol; otherwise known as Low Density Lipoprotein, or LDL.

“One of the things that makes so difficult to treat is the fact that it can spread around the body,” Associate Professor Thomas Grewal from the University’s Faculty of Pharmacy, said.

“Most of the cells in our bodies stick to neighbouring cells through the help of 'Velcro-like' molecules on their surface known as integrins. Unfortunately, integrins also help cancer cells that have broken away from a cancerous tumour to take root elsewhere in the body.

“Our study identified that ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol controls the trafficking of tiny vessels which also contain these integrins, and this has huge effects on the ability of cancer cells to move and spread throughout the body.

“In contrast, we found that high levels of ‘good’ cholesterol keeps integrins inside cells and may therefore protect against cancer cell spread.”

In Australia, one in three adults are affected by high cholesterol. But the good news is simple lifestyle changes such as losing weight, exercising more and including more fibre in your diet are some of the best ways to lower it, naturally.

The findings were published in leading international journal, Cell Reports and are said to have important implications for cancer research. And while further research is needed, the groundbreaking study provides even more motivation to eat well and move more.

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