Cholesterol efflux and uses thereof

摘要

In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of modulating cholesterol efflux in a cell, said method comprising modulating expression and/or activity of sterol 27-hydroxylase (CYP27) and/or caveolin-1 in the cell. Applicants have found that cholesterol can be removed by cholesterol efflux which is regulated by CYP27 and/or caveolin-1. More suprisingly for CYP27 modulation the cholesterol effluxed remains in the form of cholesterol and not as oxidized cholesterol as would be expected in the presence of CYP27. Preferably, CYP27 is modulated in macrophages and caveolin-1 is modulated in hepatic cells.