title: Vitamin D and prostate cancer.
abstract: Our findings demonstrate the presence of VDR in various human prostate cancer cell lines and in primary cultures derived from normal, BPH and prostate cancer. In addition, 1,25-D induced several bioresponses in these cells including growth inhibition and PSA stimulation. Based on examples in many different malignant cells as well as our data in prostate cells, that vitamin D is anti-proliferative and promotes cellular maturation, it seem clear that vitamin D must be viewed as an important cellular modulator of growth and differentiation if addition to its classical role as regulator of calcium homeostasis. In this respect, vitamin D has the potential to have beneficial actions on various malignancies including prostate cancer. Its ultimate role in prostate cancer remains to be determined, but 1,25-D may prove useful in chemoprevention and/or differentiation therapy. We believe the data currently available provide the basis for an optimistic view on the possible use of vitamin D to treat prostate cancer in patients and that further investigation is clearly warranted to better define its potential therapeutic utility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5103, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Skowronski
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Peehl
mesh_terms: D002117:Calcitriol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000502:physiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D; D002117:Calcitriol