Researchers from McGill University have found a cellular explanation for the cancer-protective properties of vitamin D, demonstrating that its active form can stop the growth of cancer cells. The study indicates that people who have higher concentrations of vitamin D in their blood appear to live considerably longer than those with lower levels.
The researcher, led by John White and David Goltzman, both professors in the Department of Physiology, found that active vitamin D reduces production and function of the cancer promoting protein cMYC by multiple mechanisms. cMYC promotes cell proliferation and is deregulated in over half of all cancers. The results were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (updated April 10, 2024).
Recently, there is a tendency toward the expansion of interest in the possible role of vitamin D in health promotion and disease prevention. Earlier reports have associated vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk of a number of malignancies and cardiovascular disease.