New cellular targets for renal clear cell carcinoma

According to research conducted by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cells can be destroyed and prevent their proliferation by inhibiting the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol receptor SCARB1

"Previous studies have shown that both SCARB1 and cholesterol are part of ccRCC, but our work here shows a causal relationship," said lead author of the study, Dr.

Worldwide, renal cell carcinoma is a common cancer in both men and women, with 15,000 deaths in the United States last year

In this study, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania cultured ccRCC cells and placed them in environments with varying degrees of cholesterol availability

Simon said: "The difference between these cancer cells and ordinary kidney cells is important because it shows that if the cholesterol available in the body is limited, kidney cells can produce the cholesterol they need

Next, the research team discovered that there are more scavenger receptor B1 (SCARB1) in ccRCC tumors, which is the receptor for importing cholesterol into cells

"The scientific community may pay attention to the development of SCARB1 and SCARB1 inhibitors in the near future for many reasons," Simon said

The research team said that although these results are promising, future work will need to confirm the safety and effectiveness of using inhibitors such as ITX-5061 to inhibit SCARB1 and ccRCC in humans

Cholesterol auxotrophy as a targetable vulnerability in clear cell renal cell carcinoma