“For years, my lab has been dedicated to studying the molecular mechanisms of vitamin D in human cancer cells, particularly its role in stopping their proliferation,” said Prof. White. “We discovered that vitamin D controls both the rate of production and the degradation of cMYC. More importantly, we found that vitamin D strongly stimulates the production of a natural antagonist of cMYC called MXD1, essentially shutting down cMYC function.”
In an animal study, scientists found that vitamin D applied to mouse skin decreased cMYC levels and activity, and that mice lacking the vitamin D receptor had significantly elevated cMYC, suggesting that topical vitamin D may be as effective as oral forms in preventing cancer-related processes.
These results emphasize the considerable promise of vitamin D as a cancer prevention agent, and highlight its general importance in health and disease prevention.
