How long-term dietary cholesterol can slow down its own clearance by liver cells

Nature, Published online: 25 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01899-6

Cholesterol carried by low-density lipoprotein (LDL) drives heart disease and is cleared by liver cells expressing the receptor LDLR. A cell-signalling mechanism has been discovered through which high cholesterol promotes the enzyme-mediated degradation of LDLR. Blocking this enzyme restores LDLR levels in liver cells, suggesting a new strategy for treating high cholesterol.