Abstract
More than thirty years ago functions of vitamin D other than its beneficial effects on calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism have been identified, mainly in relation to its antiproliferative effects on cancer cells. Notably, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a number of pathological conditions, including infections, autoimmune and allergic diseases. Vitamin D, and its metabolites, are actively involved in the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Vitamin D signals through the vitamin D receptor (VDR), a specific zinc-finger nuclear receptor. The functions of vitamin D are characterized as genomic, mediated through the VDR transcriptional effects inside the cell nucleus, and non-genomic, when the VDR induces rapid signaling, situated on the cell membrane and/or cytoplasm. Emerging evidence supports the notion that vitamin D enhances immunity, providing protection towards pathogens, while, concomitantly, it exerts immunosuppressive effects by preventing the detrimental effects of prolonged inflammatory responses to the host. Still, the precise molecular mechanisms involved in vitamin D’s genomic and non-genomic actions remain incompletely defined. Moreover, it is unclear whether vitamin D actions require the synergistic activation of other mediators, such as nuclear membrane receptors. Understanding the biology of vitamin D and the molecular pathways utilized will pave the way for the design of more effective therapeutic strategies. In this review, we present the recent genomic and non-genomic effects of vitamin D from an immunological perspective with a focus on immune-mediated diseases.
Keywords: Calcitriol, innate and adaptive immune responses, inflammation, vitamin D, vitamin D receptor.
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry
Title:Vitamin-D in the Immune System: Genomic and Non-Genomic Actions
Volume: 15 Issue: 11
Author(s): Aikaterini I. Trochoutsou, Vaia Kloukina, Konstantinos Samitas and Georgina Xanthou
Affiliation:
Keywords: Calcitriol, innate and adaptive immune responses, inflammation, vitamin D, vitamin D receptor.
Abstract: More than thirty years ago functions of vitamin D other than its beneficial effects on calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism have been identified, mainly in relation to its antiproliferative effects on cancer cells. Notably, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a number of pathological conditions, including infections, autoimmune and allergic diseases. Vitamin D, and its metabolites, are actively involved in the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Vitamin D signals through the vitamin D receptor (VDR), a specific zinc-finger nuclear receptor. The functions of vitamin D are characterized as genomic, mediated through the VDR transcriptional effects inside the cell nucleus, and non-genomic, when the VDR induces rapid signaling, situated on the cell membrane and/or cytoplasm. Emerging evidence supports the notion that vitamin D enhances immunity, providing protection towards pathogens, while, concomitantly, it exerts immunosuppressive effects by preventing the detrimental effects of prolonged inflammatory responses to the host. Still, the precise molecular mechanisms involved in vitamin D’s genomic and non-genomic actions remain incompletely defined. Moreover, it is unclear whether vitamin D actions require the synergistic activation of other mediators, such as nuclear membrane receptors. Understanding the biology of vitamin D and the molecular pathways utilized will pave the way for the design of more effective therapeutic strategies. In this review, we present the recent genomic and non-genomic effects of vitamin D from an immunological perspective with a focus on immune-mediated diseases.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Trochoutsou I. Aikaterini, Kloukina Vaia, Samitas Konstantinos and Xanthou Georgina, Vitamin-D in the Immune System: Genomic and Non-Genomic Actions, Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry 2015; 15 (11) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389557515666150519110830
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389557515666150519110830 |
Print ISSN 1389-5575 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5607 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Bioprospecting of Natural Products as Sources of New Multitarget Therapies
According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, bioprospecting is the exploration of biodiversity and indigenous knowledge to develop commercially valuable products for pharmaceutical and other applications. Bioprospecting involves searching for useful organic compounds in plants, fungi, marine organisms, and microorganisms. Natural products traditionally constituted the primary source of more than ...read more
Computational Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry
The thematic issue "Computational Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry" provides a robust platform for delving into state-of-the-art computational methodologies and technologies that significantly propel advancements in medicinal chemistry. This edition seeks to amalgamate top-tier reviews spotlighting the latest trends and breakthroughs in the fusion of computational approaches, including artificial intelligence (AI) ...read more
Mitochondria as a Therapeutic Target in Metabolic Disorders
Mitochondria are the primary site of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in mammalian cells. Moreover, these organelles are an important source of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in virtually any nucleated cell type. The modulation of a myriad of cellular signaling pathways depends on the mitochondrial physiology. Mitochondrial dysfunction is observed ...read more
Natural Products and Dietary Supplements in Alleviation of Metabolic, Cardiovascular, and Neurological Disorders
Metabolic disorders like diabetes, obesity, inflammation, oxidative stress, cancer etc, cardiovascular disorders like angina, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure etc as well as neurological disorders like Alzheimer?s, Parkinson?s, Epilepsy, Depression, etc are the global burden. They covered the major segment of the diseases and disorders from which the human community ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
Potential Crossreactivity of Human Immune Responses Against HCMV Glycoprotein B
Current Drug Discovery Technologies Therapeutic Manipulation of the Immune System: Enhancement of Innate and Adaptive Mucosal Immunity
Current Pharmaceutical Design Cytokine and Immune System Abnormalities in Fibromyalgia and Other Central Sensitivity Syndromes
Current Rheumatology Reviews Small Molecule Inhibitors of NF-κB and JAK/STAT Signal Transduction Pathways as Promising Anti-Inflammatory Therapeutics
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry mTOR: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Diseases of Multiple Systems
Current Drug Targets CD24 in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Multiple Sclerosis: Targeting Redundancy for Immunotherapy?
Current Immunology Reviews (Discontinued) How Moringa oleifera Supplementation Affects T-cell Subsets and Circulating Angiogenic, Myeloid, and Endothelial Cells in Mice with Alloxan-induced Diabetes
Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Discontinued) Recent Updates in Imperative Natural Compounds for Healthy Brain and Nerve Function: A Systematic Review of Implications for Multiple Sclerosis
Current Drug Targets Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 Activation in Atherosclerosis and Acute Cardiovascular Diseases
Current Medicinal Chemistry Programmed Symptoms: Disparate Effects United by Purpose
Current Rheumatology Reviews Clinical Significance of Cytokines and Chemokines in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Current Rheumatology Reviews Polymer-Based Drug Delivery Systems, Development and Pre-Clinical Status
Current Pharmaceutical Design Patent Annotations
Recent Patents on CNS Drug Discovery (Discontinued) Treatment of Viral Encephalitis
Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Targeting Histone Deacetylases for the Treatment of Immune, Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets Mucopolysaccharidosis Type III (Sanfilippo Syndrome): Emerging Treatment Strategies
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology The Modulation of Pain by Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors 7 and 8 in the Dorsal Striatum
Current Neuropharmacology Targeting Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) to Counteract Tumour- Induced ImmuneDysfunction: From Biochemistry to Clinical Development
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets Anti-inflammatory Potential of GSK-3 Inhibitors
Current Drug Targets The Critical Role of Toll-Like Receptor Signaling Pathways in the Induction and Progression of Autoimmune Diseases
Current Molecular Medicine