Back to the future: a new look at 'old' vitamin D

Rene F Chun, John S Adams, Martin Hewison

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

73 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Our perception of the vitamin D system continues to evolve. Recent studies have re-evaluated the parameters for adequate vitamin D status in humans, revealing a high prevalence of insufficiency in many populations throughout the world. Other reports have highlighted the potential consequences of vitamin D insufficiency beyond established effects on bone homeostasis. Most notably, there is now strong evidence of a role for vitamin D in modulating innate and adaptive immunities, with insufficiency being linked to infectious disease and other immune disorders. To date, signaling pathways for these new responses to vitamin D have been based on established endocrine models for active 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, despite present evidence for more localized, intracrine modes of action. In the following review, we provide a fresh perspective on vitamin D signaling in non-classical target cells such as macrophages by highlighting novel factors associated with the transport and action of this pluripotent secosteroid.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)261-9
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Endocrinology
Volume198
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2008

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Macrophages
  • Signal Transduction
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin D Deficiency

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