Key genes of vitamin D metabolism and their roles in the risk and prognosis of cancer
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for normal human metabolism and plays pivotal roles in various biological processes, such as maintaining calcium and phosphorus balance, regulating immune responses, and promoting cell differentiation while inhibiting proliferation. Vitamin D is obtained through sun...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Genetics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2025.1598525/full |
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| author | Sijie Zheng Lizhu Zhu Yufei Wang Yixin Hua Jie Ying Jianxiang Chen Jianxiang Chen |
| author_facet | Sijie Zheng Lizhu Zhu Yufei Wang Yixin Hua Jie Ying Jianxiang Chen Jianxiang Chen |
| author_sort | Sijie Zheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for normal human metabolism and plays pivotal roles in various biological processes, such as maintaining calcium and phosphorus balance, regulating immune responses, and promoting cell differentiation while inhibiting proliferation. Vitamin D is obtained through sunlight exposure and diet, and is metabolized into its active form via hydroxylation in liver and kidney. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to various diseases, including skeletal disorders, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Recent epidemiology and oncology research have demonstrated that serum vitamin D level, as well as genetic polymorphisms and expression dysregulation of genes related with vitamin D metabolism, have significantly influences on the incidence and prognosis of various types of cancer, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, gastrointestinal malignancy, and hematologic malignancies. The mechanisms linking vitamin D metabolism dysregulation to malignancy are multifactorial, such as the alteration in cell metabolism, proliferation, differentiation, and tumor microenvironment. These findings suggest potential therapeutic benefits of targeting the vitamin D signaling pathway for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, there is still a lack of clinical applications regarding the knowledge of vitamin D metabolic pathway, and future research is urgently needed to illustrate the underlying mechanisms for the rationale design of clinical trials. Therefore, this review summarizes the metabolic pathways of vitamin D and its association with cancer, highlighting the importance of genetic polymorphisms and expression dysregulation of genes involved in vitamin D metabolism in cancer susceptibility and prognosis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1f858f5cbda54e7ebc89b1f9009f51a2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-8021 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Genetics |
| spelling | doaj-art-1f858f5cbda54e7ebc89b1f9009f51a22025-08-20T03:16:12ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Genetics1664-80212025-06-011610.3389/fgene.2025.15985251598525Key genes of vitamin D metabolism and their roles in the risk and prognosis of cancerSijie Zheng0Lizhu Zhu1Yufei Wang2Yixin Hua3Jie Ying4Jianxiang Chen5Jianxiang Chen6College of Pharmacy and Department of Hepatology, Institute of Hepatology and Metabolic Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaCollege of Pharmacy and Department of Hepatology, Institute of Hepatology and Metabolic Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaCollege of Pharmacy and Department of Hepatology, Institute of Hepatology and Metabolic Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaCollege of Pharmacy and Department of Hepatology, Institute of Hepatology and Metabolic Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Nanjing Jiangbei Hospital of Xinglin College, Nantong University, Nanjing, ChinaCollege of Pharmacy and Department of Hepatology, Institute of Hepatology and Metabolic Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaKey Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaVitamin D is an essential vitamin for normal human metabolism and plays pivotal roles in various biological processes, such as maintaining calcium and phosphorus balance, regulating immune responses, and promoting cell differentiation while inhibiting proliferation. Vitamin D is obtained through sunlight exposure and diet, and is metabolized into its active form via hydroxylation in liver and kidney. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to various diseases, including skeletal disorders, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Recent epidemiology and oncology research have demonstrated that serum vitamin D level, as well as genetic polymorphisms and expression dysregulation of genes related with vitamin D metabolism, have significantly influences on the incidence and prognosis of various types of cancer, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, gastrointestinal malignancy, and hematologic malignancies. The mechanisms linking vitamin D metabolism dysregulation to malignancy are multifactorial, such as the alteration in cell metabolism, proliferation, differentiation, and tumor microenvironment. These findings suggest potential therapeutic benefits of targeting the vitamin D signaling pathway for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, there is still a lack of clinical applications regarding the knowledge of vitamin D metabolic pathway, and future research is urgently needed to illustrate the underlying mechanisms for the rationale design of clinical trials. Therefore, this review summarizes the metabolic pathways of vitamin D and its association with cancer, highlighting the importance of genetic polymorphisms and expression dysregulation of genes involved in vitamin D metabolism in cancer susceptibility and prognosis.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2025.1598525/fullvitamin Dmetabolismcancergenetic polymorphismsmicroenvironment |
| spellingShingle | Sijie Zheng Lizhu Zhu Yufei Wang Yixin Hua Jie Ying Jianxiang Chen Jianxiang Chen Key genes of vitamin D metabolism and their roles in the risk and prognosis of cancer Frontiers in Genetics vitamin D metabolism cancer genetic polymorphisms microenvironment |
| title | Key genes of vitamin D metabolism and their roles in the risk and prognosis of cancer |
| title_full | Key genes of vitamin D metabolism and their roles in the risk and prognosis of cancer |
| title_fullStr | Key genes of vitamin D metabolism and their roles in the risk and prognosis of cancer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Key genes of vitamin D metabolism and their roles in the risk and prognosis of cancer |
| title_short | Key genes of vitamin D metabolism and their roles in the risk and prognosis of cancer |
| title_sort | key genes of vitamin d metabolism and their roles in the risk and prognosis of cancer |
| topic | vitamin D metabolism cancer genetic polymorphisms microenvironment |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2025.1598525/full |
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