title: Oxysterol receptors and their therapeutic applications in cancer conditions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oxysterols are implicated in various cellular processes. Among their target proteins, liver X receptors (LXRs) α and β modulate the cell cycle in a large range of cancer cell lines. Besides their role as cholesterol sensors, LXRs are also involved in the proliferation/apoptosis balance regulation in various types of cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review covers oxysterols and derivatives of cholesterol as well as synthetic or natural ligands (agonist/antagonist) of LXRs. Most tumor cell lines are sensitive to LXR activation. Indeed various cancers are concerned such as prostate, breast, glioblastoma, colorectal, and ovary tumors, and leukemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Developing the use of LXR ligands in human health, especially in the field of cancer, represents a novel and promising strategy. Despite a wide spectrum of applications, numerous adverse effects of LXR activation need to be solved before genuine clinical trials in humans. Future directions will be based on the engineering of selective LXRs modulators (SLiMs) as already done for nuclear steroid receptors.
authors.affiliation: Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Génétique Reproduction et Développement, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Hugues
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Boussac
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alioui
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viennois
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dufour
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trousson
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guy
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Volle
authors.forename: Jean-Marc A
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lobaccaro
authors.forename: Silvère
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baron
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D000071518:Liver X Receptors; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D057093:Orphan Nuclear Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000071518:Liver X Receptors; D057093:Orphan Nuclear Receptors; D002784:Cholesterol