Scientists identify new pathway driving high cholesterol and potential treatment

Scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine discovered a previously unknown biological pathway that explains how high-cholesterol diets impair the body's ability to remove harmful LDL cholesterol from the blood, ScienceDaily Health reported.

The liver removes cholesterol from the bloodstream using LDL receptors on liver cells, which capture LDL cholesterol for processing. A high-cholesterol diet reduces the liver's ability to clear cholesterol by affecting this receptor system.

Researchers found that blocking this newly identified pathway dramatically lowered harmful LDL cholesterol levels in mice, indicating a potential new approach to treatment.

An experimental drug targeting this pathway has already passed an early safety trial in humans, potentially accelerating the development of new therapies for high cholesterol, according to the report.

Heart disease linked to high cholesterol remains the leading cause of death worldwide, and current treatments can be ineffective or cause side effects, highlighting the need for new options.

This discovery, published in Nature, provides important insight into cholesterol regulation and could lead to improved treatments for patients struggling to control their cholesterol levels.