Liver X receptors (LXRs) are nuclear receptors with various functions, including the regulation of cholesterol metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and inflammation. We previously reported that LXR activation inhibits the growth of oral cancer cells by inducing cellular cholesterol efflux and that LXRβ is expressed mainly in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) tissues. SCLC is one of the most aggressive cancers, and identifying an effective therapeutic target molecule is desirable. Therefore, we investigated whether LXRβ could be an effective target molecule for SCLC treatment through in vitro experiments.

We evaluated the influence of treatment with the LXR agonist T0901317 on cell proliferation and apoptosis in SCLC cell lines using cell viability, BrdU-ELISA, FACS, and western blot analyses. Moreover, the mechanism by which T0901317 inhibits SCLC cell proliferation was elucidated using qRT-PCR, western blot, a cholesterol quantification assay, and a genome editing technique.

We showed that cultivated SCLC cells expressed LXRβ and that an LXR agonist inhibited the proliferation of SCLC cells without toxicity to normal cells. Furthermore, the antitumoral effect of an LXR agonist on SCLC cells was attributed to the induction of ABCA1 by LXRβ activation, resulting in an increase in cellular cholesterol efflux via ABCA1.

The activation of LXRβ up-regulates ABCA1 expression, causing cholesterol depletion in cancer cells. This mechanism could be a novel target strategy for SCLC.