Institute of Clinical and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Neoplasma. 2024 Aug;71(4):307-318. doi: 10.4149/neo_2024_240531N240.
Vitamin D is an important steroid hormone that exerts immunomodulatory actions, controls calcium and phosphate homeostasis, and significantly affects human health. Vitamin D deficiency is a global health problem, affecting approximately 60% of adults worldwide, and has been implicated in a range of different types of diseases, e.g., cancer. Vitamin D is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, energetic metabolism, and different types of cell death (e.g., apoptosis, autophagy, etc.). In physiological conditions, it is also able to modulate immune responses, angiogenesis, etc., which belongs to fundamental cancer-related processes. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of some types of cancer, e.g., colorectal, breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, etc. The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention, carcinogenesis, and cancer treatment is still under investigation and depends on the type of cancer. This review summarizes the role of vitamin D in all three above-mentioned aspects and discusses the mechanism of action and potential possibilities in cancer treatment.
维生素 D 是一种重要的类固醇激素，具有免疫调节作用，可控制钙和磷的体内平衡，并显著影响人类健康。维生素 D 缺乏是一个全球性的健康问题，影响着全球约 60%的成年人，与多种不同类型的疾病有关，例如癌症。维生素 D 参与细胞增殖、分化、能量代谢和多种类型的细胞死亡（如细胞凋亡、自噬等）的调节。在生理条件下，它还能够调节免疫反应、血管生成等，这些都属于与癌症相关的基本过程。维生素 D 缺乏与某些类型的癌症（如结直肠癌、乳腺癌、卵巢癌、前列腺癌、胰腺癌等）的风险增加有关。维生素 D 在癌症预防、发生和治疗中的作用仍在研究中，并且取决于癌症的类型。本文综述了维生素 D 在这三个方面的作用，并讨论了其在癌症治疗中的作用机制和潜在可能性。
