title: Verhoeff's query: is vitamin D effective against retinoblastoma?
abstract: In 1966, Verhoeff suggested that retinoblastomas might be sensitive to vitamin D because they sometimes undergo calcification and spontaneous regression. In recent years, the antineoplastic effect of vitamin D has been established in vitro and in vivo. This study presents evidence that vitamin D2 inhibits the growth of the human retinoblastoma cell line (Y-79) grown in athymic mice. In mice treated with ergocalciferol, the subcutaneous retinoblastomas were smaller and showed increased tumor necrosis and calcification. Unfortunately, the vitamin D caused significant toxic reactions. Further studies that reduce the toxicity of vitamin D will be needed before its use in children with retinoblastomas can be advocated. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the activity of ergocalciferol against a tumor in vivo and it suggests that ergocalciferol or one of its derivatives may be an effective chemotherapeutic agent against retinoblastomas in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Saulenas
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000209:etiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004872:Ergocalciferols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009336:Necrosis; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D004872:Ergocalciferols; D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium