American biochemist Joseph Goldstein played a pivotal role in discovering the link between cholesterol and heart disease. His groundbreaking work, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1985, revealed that cholesterol is a sterol, an organic compound with the formula C17H28O. Found in animals, this compound is classified as a zoosterol. In fungi, mycosterol performs a similar role to cholesterol, but it’s ergosterol that takes on this function.
One class of drugs that reduces cholesterol levels in the blood to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease are statins. These drugs target a specific pathway – the first 18 steps of the 37-step process by which the human body makes cholesterol – to achieve their goal. When exposed to ultraviolet light, cholesterol undergoes a series of transformations into calcitriol, an active form of vitamin D made in the kidneys.
It’s important to note that the human body has its own mechanism for recycling cholesterol. This process begins with its excretion from the liver and eventual reabsorption into the bloodstream through absorption in the small intestine. Cholesterol found within brain cells is produced and transported by astrocytes because it can’t cross the blood-brain barrier on its own.
In summary, understanding cholesterol’s role and behavior within our bodies can help us maintain optimal health and reduce our risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The work of scientists like Joseph Goldstein has given us valuable insights into this complex molecule and its impact on human health.