Understanding Cholesterol Drug

Ivanhoe Newswire
Friday, June 6, 2008; 4:15 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – New research sheds light on how a cholesterol drug works in the body. The study is significant because the drug ezetimibe (Zetia) works differently than other cholesterol drugs and could lead scientists to create similar drugs.

For years scientists have known a protein known as NPC1L1 played a critical role in cholesterol absorption. However, they did not fully understand it. NPC1L1 carries cholesterol into a cell. Researchers say the drug ezetimibe bars it from entering the cell, thereby keeping cholesterol at bay.

"This is a breakthrough in terms of understanding how cholesterol is absorbed," says Bao-Liang Song of Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences. "Now we see how NPC1L1 is recycled between the cell surface and vesicles (inside the cell) and how it takes in cholesterol." He adds, "If we can uncover the players, we can try to identify new small molecules to interfere with the process."

Study authors say ezetimibe works well in some people, but is barely effective in others.  This is why there's an urgent need for more cholesterol uptake inhibitory drugs. They hope this study will provide the basis to create these new drugs.

SOURCE: Cell Metabolism, 2008;7:508-519

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