Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026

LDL Cholesterol Uptake Assay Using Live Cell Imaging Analysis with Cell Health Monitoring
Published on: November 17, 2018
Tumor Cholesterol Up, T Cells Down
Elodie Picarda1, Xiaoxin Ren1, Xingxing Zang2
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
Abstract:
Highly suppressive tumor microenvironments often result in T cell dysfunction and inability to control tumors, but factors regulating this process remain elusive. A new study by Ma et al. (2019) reports that tumor cholesterol devitalizes T cells by modulating endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways, revealing a new mechanism underlying T cell exhaustion.
Related Concept Videos
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Tumor Immunotherapy
Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
The Tumor Microenvironment
Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...

