Interactions between cyclodextrins and cellular components: Towards greener medical applications?

Leclercq, Loïc

It is noteworthy that high concentrations of modified β-CDs result in rates of cell cholesterol efflux far in excess of those achieved with physiological cholesterol acceptors such as highdensity lipoproteins (HDL). Indeed, plasma levels of HDL are inversely associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality because this lipoprotein is responsible for transporting cholesterol to the liver where it can be eliminated [128] . The opposite holds for low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Their function is to transport cholesterol, free or esterified, in the blood and through the body to bring them to the cells. HDL particles also reduce macrophage accumulation, and thus help prevent or even regress atherosclerosis. The alteration of cellular cholesterol regulation, named the reverse cholesterol transport, RCT, could be used to block atheroprogression associated with different severity degrees of atherosclerosis pathogenesis. From the pioneering works of Irie et al., it became clear that CDs can be useful to prevent atherosclerosis [115, 129] .