Neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase 1

Neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase 1 (NCEH1) is a serine hydrolase that catalyzes the breakdown of cholesterol esters and 2-acetyl monoalkylglycerol ether, a precursor in platelet-activating factor synthesis (UniProt: Q6PIU2). The enzyme also participates in detoxification of organophosphorus compounds and may influence tumor cell migration. NCEH1 is expressed in macrophages and other tissues involved in lipid metabolism and immune responses.

NCEH1 has been tagged as relevant to Alzheimer's Disease based on proteomic analysis of post-mortem AD brain tissue. In a TMT-labeled quantitative proteomics study comparing AD brains to age-matched controls across four subcellular fractions (P2, P3, S2, S3), NCEH1 was detected as significantly upregulated with a mean log2 fold-change of 0.78 (Chaparral AD proteomics). This elevation suggests altered lipid metabolism or immune-related processes may accompany AD pathology. The directional change aligns with potential roles in cholesterol homeostasis and neuroinflammation, though the functional consequence of increased NCEH1 in AD brain requires further investigation.