New Roles for Vitamin D Superagonists: From COVID to Cancer.

Department of Medical Oncology, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Ireland. Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Department of Molecular Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. Department of Oncology, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Ireland.

Frontiers in endocrinology. 2021;:644298
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Abstract

Vitamin D is a potent steroid hormone that induces widespread changes in gene expression and controls key biological pathways. Here we review pathophysiology of vitamin D with particular reference to COVID-19 and pancreatic cancer. Utility as a therapeutic agent is limited by hypercalcemic effects and attempts to circumvent this problem have used vitamin D superagonists, with increased efficacy and reduced calcemic effect. A further caveat is that vitamin D mediates multiple diverse effects. Some of these (anti-fibrosis) are likely beneficial in patients with COVID-19 and pancreatic cancer, whereas others (reduced immunity), may be beneficial through attenuation of the cytokine storm in patients with advanced COVID-19, but detrimental in pancreatic cancer. Vitamin D superagonists represent an untapped resource for development of effective therapeutic agents. However, to be successful this approach will require agonists with high cell-tissue specificity.

Methodological quality

Publication Type : Review

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