The role of vitamin D in prostate cancer. [Recent Results Cancer Res. 2003] - PubMed Result

The role of vitamin D in prostate cancer. [Recent Results Cancer Res. 2003] - PubMed Result

"Primary cultures of normal or cancer-derived prostatic epithelial cells express 1alpha-hydroxylase, the enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of 1,25(OH)2D3 (Vitamin D3 as calcitriol), the levels being much lower in the cancer-derived cells and in PCa cell lines. This finding raises the possibility of using 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] as a chemopreventive agent in Prostate Cancer (PCa.) In LNCaP human PCa cells, 1,25(OH)2D3 and its analogs exert antiproliferative activity predominantly by cell cycle arrest, but also induce apoptosis, although to a much lesser degree. Growth arrest is mediated by induction of IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), which in turn increases the expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p21, leading to growth arrest. Other actions of 1,25(OH)2D3 in PCa cells include promotion of pro-differentiation effects and inhibition of tumor cell invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. Combination therapy with retinoids, other anticancer agents or 24-hydroxylase inhibitors augments the inhibitory activity of 1,25(OH)2D3 in PCa and provides another effective approach in PCa treatment."