An oxysterol is a derivative of cholesterol obtained by oxidation involving enzymes and / or pro-oxidants. Such compounds play important roles in various biological processes such as cholesterol homeostasis, lipid metabolism ( sphingolipids, fatty acids), apoptosis, autophagy, and prenylation of proteins; the mode of action of oxysterols in these effects is still poorly understood. Several oxysterols are associated with age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, eye disease ( cataract, age-related macular degeneration), certain neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. ^[1] The activities of oxysterols in these diseases could be due to their pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory activities and their ability to act on cellular organelles ( mitochondria, peroxisome, lysosome) that can contribute to activate apoptosis and autophagy. There are arguments supporting that oxysterols have important roles in atherosclerosis progression which is involved in several cardiovascular diseases. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Identifying molecules or mixtures of molecules, developing innovative approaches ( gene therapy, bioremediation^{[ further explanation needed]}) to modulate the biogenesis of these molecules and their biological activities is therefore of therapeutic interest.

Example

• Oxycholesterol (5,6-epoxycholesterol)
• 24S-Hydroxycholesterol
• 27-Hydroxycholesterol

References

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