Vitamin D as a Novel Regulator of Tumor Metabolism: Insights on Potential Mechanisms and Implications for Anti-Cancer Therapy

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ [1,25(OH)₂D₃], the bioactive form of vitamin D, has been shown to possess significant anti-tumor potential. While most studies so far have focused on the ability of this molecule to influence the proliferation and apoptosis of cancer cells, more recent data indicate that 1,25(OH)₂D₃ also impacts energy utilization in tumor cells. In this article, we summarize and review the evidence that demonstrates the targeting of metabolic aberrations in cancers by 1,25(OH)₂D₃, and highlight potential mechanisms through which these effects may be executed. We shed light on the ability of this molecule to regulate metabolism-related tumor suppressors and oncogenes, energy- and nutrient-sensing pathways, as well as cell death and survival mechanisms such as autophagy.