25-hydroxycholesterol in inflammation

Abstract

Oxysterols, biological active oxidized forms of cholesterol, regulate cholesterol metabolism and intracellular cholesterol levels. They have been attributed additional roles during inflammation and recent data have highlighted their implication in human diseases. The oxysterol downstream of cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (Ch25h), 25-Hydroxycholesterol (25-HC), is largely produced during inflammatory processes. 25-HC and its derived oxysterols play critical roles in immune cell chemotaxis, viral replication inhibition, and neuroinflammation. Mechanistically, mitochondrial function, inflammasomes, endoplasmic reticulum stress, cell death, and cellular metabolism are involved. This review aims to bring the latest knowledge about the role of Ch25h-derived oxysterols under inflammatory conditions related to human diseases, specifically autoimmunity, neurological disorders, and cancers.