Cholesterol (nonanimal)

Synthetic cholesterol, known as a helper lipid, has been used in the formulation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to improve their efficacity potentially by enhancing membrane fusion. It has been assumed that cholesterol had a crystalline form at the surface of LNPs, allowing the promotion of endosomal escape. Cholesterol is also known to be a structural component of the cell membrane which determines the fluidity as well as the permeability of the membrane. It can be used as a precursor for the synthesis of other steroid derivatives.