title: Vitamin D compounds in leukemia.
abstract: The biologically active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)(2)D3,] possess in vitro multiple anti-cancer activities including growth arrest, induction of apoptosis and differentiation of a variety of different types of malignant cells. However, its use as a therapeutic agent is hindered by its calcemic effects. Analogs of 1,25(OH)(2)D3 have enhanced anti-tumor activity, with reduced calcemic effects. However, limited clinical studies using vitamin D compounds have not yet achieved major clinical success. Nevertheless, pre-clinical studies suggest that the combination of either 1,25(OH)(2)D3 or its analogs with other agents can have additive or synergistic anti-cancer activities, suggesting future clinical studies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. Q.T.Luong.1@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Quang T
authors.initials: QT
authors.lastname: Luong
authors.forename: H Phillip
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Koeffler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000378:metabolism; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D002762:Cholecalciferol; D002117:Calcitriol