The progression of cells from premalignant to malignant states is slowed by vitamin D
A team of McGill University researchers led by professors John White and David Goltzman has determined a molecular basis for the potential cancer-preventive effects of vitamin D.
Correlations exist between inadequate amounts of vitamin D and an increased incidence of several different cancers, especially among cancers of the digestive tract (including colon cancer) and certain forms of leukemia.
The team found that the active form of vitamin D inhibits both the production and function of the protein cMYC, which is active at high levels in more than half of all cancers and drives cell division.
“For years, my lab has been dedicated to studying the molecular mechanisms of vitamin D in human cancer cells, particularly its role in stopping their proliferation,” said White. “We discovered that vitamin D controls both the rate of production and the degradation of cMYC. More importantly, we found that vitamin D strongly stimulates the production of a natural antagonist of cMYC called MXD1, essentially shutting down cMYC function.”
The team also observed that, when applied to the skin of mice, vitamin D caused a decline in the level of cMYC and a decrease in the protein’s function. Furthermore, researchers discovered that mice lacking the specific receptor for vitamin D had highly elevated levels of cMYC in a number of tissues, including the skin and the lining of the colon.
“Taken together, our results show that vitamin D puts the brakes on cMYC function, suggesting that it may slow the progression of cells from premalignant to malignant states and keep their proliferation in check. We hope that our research will encourage people to maintain adequate vitamin D supplementation and will stimulate the development of large, well-controlled cancer chemoprevention trials to test the effects of adequate supplementation,” said White.
Study results are published in the latest edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Source: McGill University.