title: Extraskeletal effects of vitamin D.
abstract: The presence of vitamin D receptors in diverse tissues like immune cells, beta-cells in the pancreas, and cardiac myocytes has prompted research to evaluate the impact of vitamin D deficiency on the occurrence of immune diseases, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The expression of receptors not only in normal cells, but also in cancer cells including breast, prostate, and colon cancer cells has moreover opened the path to therapeutic exploitation of vitamin D or its metabolites and hypocalcemic structural analogues as pharmaceutical tools in the fight against chronic non-communicable diseases like diabetes, CVD, and cancer.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Catholic University Leuven (KUL), O&N I Herestraat 49 - bus 902, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wolden-Kirk
authors.forename: Conny
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gysemans
authors.forename: Annemieke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verstuyf
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mathieu
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D009928:Organ Specificity; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D; D002117:Calcitriol