An oxysterol is a derivative of cholesterol obtained by oxidation involving enzymes and / or pro-oxidants.
Such compounds play important roles in various biological processes such as cholesterol homeostasis, lipid metabolism (sphingolipids, fatty acids), apoptosis, autophagy, and prenylation of proteins; the mode of action of oxysterols in these effects is still poorly understood.
[1] The activities of oxysterols in these diseases could be due to their pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory activities and their ability to act on cellular organelles (mitochondria, peroxisome, lysosome) that can contribute to activate apoptosis and autophagy.
There are arguments supporting that oxysterols have important roles in atherosclerosis progression which is involved in several cardiovascular diseases.
[2][3][4] Identifying therapies to regulate the body's production of oxysterols and their biological activities is of therapeutic interest.