Dysregulated cholesterol regulatory genes as a diagnostic biomarker for cancer

A dysregulation of cholesterol homeostasis is often seen in various cancer cell types, and elevated cholesterol content and that of its metabolites appears to be crucial for cancer progression and metastasis. Cholesterol is a precursor of various steroid hormones and a key plasma membrane component especially in lipid-rafts, also modulating many intracellular signaling pathways.

To provide an insight of dysregulated cholesterol regulatory genes, their transcript levels were analyzed in different cancers and their influence was correlated with the overall survival of cancer patients using cancer database analysis.

This analysis found a set of genes (e.g., ACAT1, RXRA, SOAT1 and SQLE) that were not only often dysregulated, but also had been associated with poorer overall survival in most cancer types. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed elevated SQLE and SOAT1 transcript levels and downregulated expression of RXRA and ACAT1 genes in triple negative breast cancer tissues compared to adjacent control tissues, indicating that this dysregulated expression of the gene signature is a diagnostic marker for breast cancer.

For the first time, the present study identified a gene signature associated with the dysregulation of cholesterol homeostasis in cancer cells that may not only be used as a diagnostic marker, but also comprise a promising drug target for the advancement of cancer therapy.