Cholesterol metabolism regulates macrophage function and inflammation-related diseases

Cholesterol is an essential lipid component of membrane bilayers that maintains proper cellular function. Macrophages, key innate immune cells, are involved in organ development, tissue repair, defense against infection, and tumor progression. Accumulating evidence indicates that macrophages undergo significant reprogramming of cholesterol metabolism in response to external signals from diverse pathological microenvironments. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the cellular and systemic regulation of cholesterol metabolism homeostasis and examines how cholesterol metabolites regulate macrophage function. It highlights recent advances in targeting cholesterol metabolism for therapeutic purposes in various human diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, atherosclerosis, bacterial and viral infections, and cancer.