Researchers Identify Previously Unknown Step in Cholesterol Absorption in the Gut; UCLA Studies Suggest Newly Described Pathway Could Be a Treatment Target

UCLA researchers and colleagues have described a previously unknown step in the complex process by which dietary cholesterol is processed in the intestines before being released into the bloodstream – potentially revealing a new pathway to target in cholesterol treatment. Although an existing drug and statins impact part of the process, an experimental drug being studied in UCLA research labs appears to specifically target the newfound pathway, possibly adding a new approach to the cholesterol management toolbox.