Cholesterol modulation in drug delivery systems and tumor therapy: Strategies and perspectives.

Cholesterol is an important component of biological membranes and is implicated in a variety of biological processes. During tumor development, cholesterol metabolism is reprogrammed to accommodate rapid tumor growth. Interference with cholesterol metabolism at the tumor site has shown the potential to inhibit tumor growth, proliferation and metastasis. In addition, as an important component, cholesterol has a significant impact on the performance of drug delivery systems (DDS). In this review, the application of modulating cholesterol levels or structures in improving the delivery efficacy of DDS was summarized, including categorization and physicochemical characteristics, drug encapsulation and release, and in vivo processes. We then outlined strategies to interfere with cholesterol metabolism in tumors. We expected that this review could improve the understanding of the role of cholesterol in DDS and tumor sites. It may provide a theoretical basis for the future use of cholesterol regulatory strategies to optimize the performance of the delivery system and offer new possibilities for tumor therapy.