Figure 1.

Summary of the effects of cholesterol on bone and marrow niche homeostasis. In the circulation, cholesterol is present in the forms of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) with lipoproteins. Normal concentrations of cholesterol are essential for the body. However, when the circulating concentration changes, it may become a risk factor. This review focuses on the roles of cholesterol in bone metabolism and bone marrow nice homeostasis. Cholesterol could drive the differentiation of marrow stromal cells (MSCs) into either osteoblasts or bone marrow adipocytes (BMAs), and further influence the bone mass or osteoporosis. Meanwhile, cholesterol affects the proliferation and mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), myeloid lineage differentiation and thrombocytosis, effects of which may potentially contribute to the development of atherothrombosis.