7-ketocholesterol as a theranostic target: Potential applications and future perspectives

7-Ketocholesterol (7KC) is mainly formed by cholesterol autoxidation and is a pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory bioactive lipid that also induces different types of cell death, including oxiapoptophagy. It is frequently associated with major age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, age-related macular degeneration, and Alzheimer's disease. 7KC can therefore be considered a biomarker for these diseases, offering the possibility of developing theranostic strategies combining diagnosis and treatment. Currently, all the elements are in place to develop tools for the design of theranostic therapies targeting 7KC in diseased organs: antibodies, nanoparticles used as nanoplatforms, molecules that neutralize 7KC such as enzymes which degrade it, as well as natural or synthetic compounds that inhibit the cytotoxic signaling pathways associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and cell death activated by 7KC. Identifying and neutralizing 7KC biological activities using a theranostic approach could also be of interest for growing medical fields such as space medicine widely concerned by oxidative stress, aging and age-related diseases, driven by microgravity. This review supports that most of key tools are now available to develop theranostic treatments targeting 7KC in age-related pathologies, especially in cardiovascular diseases associated with atheroma, but also in age-related macular degeneration and Alzheimer's disease. Discovery of effective treatments for these diseases is a major challenge and will answer an important need for both patients and caregivers.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Chemistry and Physics of Lipids
Published
2026-04-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2026.105588
Primary Topic
Cholesterol and Lipid Metabolism
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

7-ketocholesterol as a theranostic target: Potential applications and future perspectives

Farid Khallouki, Mohamed Abdelkarim, Leila Rezig, Imen Ghzaiel et al.
Chemistry and Physics of Lipids
Cholesterol and Lipid Metabolism
article

7-ketocholesterol as a theranostic target: Potential applications and future perspectives

Farid Khallouki, Mohamed Abdelkarim, Leila Rezig, Imen Ghzaiel, Taoufik Ghrairi, Anne Véjux, Smail Meziane, John J. Mackrill, Atanas G. Atanasov, Nadine Millot, Ali Gargouri, Fatiha Brahmi, Khouloud Sassi, Joël Pincemaïl, Adil El Midaoui, Gérard Lizard, Elham Hassen, Rym Benkalifa, Olfa Masmoudi-Kouki
article en

Abstract

7-Ketocholesterol (7KC) is mainly formed by cholesterol autoxidation and is a pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory bioactive lipid that also induces different types of cell death, including oxiapoptophagy. It is frequently associated with major age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, age-related macular degeneration, and Alzheimer's disease. 7KC can therefore be considered a biomarker for these diseases, offering the possibility of developing theranostic strategies combining diagnosis and treatment. Currently, all the elements are in place to develop tools for the design of theranostic therapies targeting 7KC in diseased organs: antibodies, nanoparticles used as nanoplatforms, molecules that neutralize 7KC such as enzymes which degrade it, as well as natural or synthetic compounds that inhibit the cytotoxic signaling pathways associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and cell death activated by 7KC. Identifying and neutralizing 7KC biological activities using a theranostic approach could also be of interest for growing medical fields such as space medicine widely concerned by oxidative stress, aging and age-related diseases, driven by microgravity. This review supports that most of key tools are now available to develop theranostic treatments targeting 7KC in age-related pathologies, especially in cardiovascular diseases associated with atheroma, but also in age-related macular degeneration and Alzheimer's disease. Discovery of effective treatments for these diseases is a major challenge and will answer an important need for both patients and caregivers.

Chemistry and Physics of LipidsVol. 276-277
Tunis University (TN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Inserm (FR), University of Liège (BE), University of Monastir (TN), Université de Bourgogne (FR), University of Carthage (TN), University of Béjaïa (DZ), University College Cork (IE), Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PL), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR), Institut de la Filtration et des Techniques Séparatives (FR), Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège (BE), Institut Agro Dijon (FR), Institut Pasteur de Tunis (TN), Clinique Les Fontaines (FR), Université Moulay Ismail de Meknes (MA), Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax (TN), National Institute of Applied Science and Technology (TN), Instituto Superior da Maia (PT), Tunis El Manar University (TN), Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 35%
Cholesterol and Lipid Metabolism
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.