An important cholesterol metabolite (cholesterol 24-hydroxylase) found in the brain.  It is an endogenous agonist of the nuclear receptor LXR. It has been shown to induce cell death in neuroblastoma cells, possibly via a necroptosis pathway.  24(S)-Hydroxycholesterol has also been found to be a high affinity ligand for RORα and RORγ (Ki = 25 nM). 24(S)-Hydroxycholesterol levels are elevated in the cerebral spinal fluids of patients with neurogenerative diseases suggesting possible clinical applications. It was also able to reduce Aβ production and increase ER-resident immature amyloid precursor protein (APP) levels in human neuroblastoma SH-Sy5Y cells and CHO cells via inhibition of intracellular amyloid precursor protein trafficking.