Protein marker, cholesterol absorption linked

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http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4327591/

.... researchers said they had figured out how to prevent the body from

absorbing cholesterol in the gut and said it may lead to the development of

new cholesterol-lowering drugs.... It seems to affect a protein called

NPC1L1 ... ³The pharmaceutical industry is actively seeking drugs that

specifically inhibit cholesterol absorption without affecting the absorption

of other dietary lipids (fats).² For instance the diet drug Xenical, made

by Roche, stops the intestine from absorbing about a third of all fat in the

diet -- but also blocks fat-soluble vitamins such as A and K and causes

other side-effects....