Role of cholesterol in TIME

Cell typeCholesterol role in cancer/HCCReferences
MacrophagesCholesterol induces macrophage recruitment and differentiation to M2 polarity in HCC.
HCD induces M1 macrophages in early stages of HCC development, contrarily to M2 polarity in chronic phases.
Cholesterol efflux is associated with aggressivity in cancer.
HFHCD induce M2 macrophage polarization or CD206+ cells.
The primary sources of oxysterols such as 27-HC are M2 macrophages.
[5, 28, 45, 47, 52, 59]
NeutrophilsHCD promotes neutrophil infiltration in HCC models.
Oxidized cholesterol plays an essential role in neutrophils attracting in a CXCR2-dependent manner.
Oxidized cholesterol correlates with tumor aggressivity.
NASH-HCC tumors have high neutrophil infiltration.
[47, 58, 60]
NKCholesterol promotes NK cell activation and NKG2D, and NCR1 receptors are reflected in aggressivity reduction.
Deletion of ApoE (ApoE−/−) provokes fewer and smaller liver tumors, augmenting effector functions of NK cells.
The dysfunctional response of iNKT cells with high lipids and cholesterol biosynthesis in B16F10 is the opposite response in liver tumors.
[63, 64]
DCOxidized lipid forms inhibit antigen cross-presentation and peptide MHC class I complexes, reducing anti-tumor strategy.
LXR affects DC in a CCR7-dependent mechanism, observing decrement in migration to lymphoid tissues.
[67, 68]
T lymphocytesT lymphocytes have pleiotropic roles, activating a high variety of subsets of T cells in the NAFLD spectrum and HCC.
HCD induces inflammation with T lymphocytes (CD3+ CD4+ CD8+) recruitment in the liver.
Cholesterol accumulation in the microenvironment induces immune checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1, 2B4, TIM-3, and LAG-3) in CD8+ cells.
Cholesterol overload is associated with an increment in Treg.
[7275]

27-HC: 27-hydroxy-cholesterol; ApoE: apolipoprotein E