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Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Author Spotlight: Tracing the Ferroptotic Signatures and Cell Death Dynamics in Medulloblastoma for Advanced Therapeutics
Published on: March 15, 2024
Enzymatically Formed Oxysterols and Cell Death
Yasuomi Urano1, Noriko Noguchi2
1Department of Medical Life Systems, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, Japan. yurano@mail.doshisha.ac.jp.
Abstract:
The side-chain hydroxylation of cholesterol by specific enzymes produces 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol, 25-hydroxycholesterol, 27-hydroxycholesterol, and other products. These enzymatically formed side-chain oxysterols act as intermediates in the biosynthesis of bile acids and serve as signaling molecules that regulate cholesterol homeostasis. Besides these intracellular functions, an imbalance in oxysterol homeostasis is implicated in pathophysiology. Furthermore, growing evidence reveals that oxysterols affect cell proliferation and cause cell death. This chapter provides an overview of the pathophysiological role of side-chain oxysterols in developing human diseases. We also summarize our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the induction of various forms of cell death by side-chain oxysterols.
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