Nature Medicine | Spoonful of Medicine

Analogs of vitamin D prove their worth in fighting cancer and kidney failure

By Cassandra Willyard

calcitriol.jpgLate last year, the US Institute of Medicine released a report stating that research claiming any benefits from vitamin D beyond building strong bones is “inconsistent and inconclusive.” Although inert vitamin D supplements have yet to prove their worth, new research is increasingly showing that active analogs of the molecule can help fight a number of diseases, including cancer and chronic kidney failure.

Physicians already prescribe one such drug — calcitriol, an active form of vitamin D first synthesized in the 1970s — to treat rickets, psoriasis and vitamin D deficiencies sometimes seen with kidney disease.

But there is a drawback to calcitriol: high doses can lead to a surfeit of calcium in the blood, a condition known as hypercalcemia. So investigators have been working to develop other vitamin D analogs that minimize this risk while maximizing the benefits.

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Image: NIDDK

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    mauriciophilips said:

    Wow! Vitamin D is very vital for our body. I was so amazed that aside for it’s known purpose and benefits, researchers discover more helpful and beneficial of Vitamin D in our body particularly in our health. Nice : )