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Vitamin D Found To Stimulate A Protein That Inhibits The Growth Of Breast Cancer Cells

Date:
February 5, 2009
Source:
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)
Summary:
Calcitrol, the active form of vitamin D, has been found to induce a tumor suppressing protein that can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells, according to a new study.
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Calcitrol, the active form of vitamin D, has been found to induce a tumor suppressing protein that can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells, according to a study by researcher Sylvia Chistakos, Ph.D., of the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.

Chistakos, a professor of biochemistry, has published extensively on the multiple roles of vitamin D, including inhibition of the growth of malignant cells found in breast cancer. Her current findings on the vitamin D induced protein that inhibits breast cancer growth are published in a recent issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Previous research had determined that increased serum levels of vitamin D are associated with an improved diagnosis in patients with breast cancer. Prior to the current study, little was known about the factors that determine the effect of calcitrol on inhibiting breast cancer growth, she said.

During the study, Christakos and co-author Puneet Dhawan, Ph.D., examined the protein involved in the action that can reduce the growth of vitamin D in breast cancer cells. “These results provide an important process in which the active form of vitamin D may work to reduce growth of breast cancer cells,” said Christakos. “These studies provide a basis for the design of new anticancer agents that can target the protein as a candidate for breast cancer treatment.”


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Materials provided by University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


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University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). "Vitamin D Found To Stimulate A Protein That Inhibits The Growth Of Breast Cancer Cells." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 February 2009. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204172437.htm>.
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). (2009, February 5). Vitamin D Found To Stimulate A Protein That Inhibits The Growth Of Breast Cancer Cells. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 17, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204172437.htm
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). "Vitamin D Found To Stimulate A Protein That Inhibits The Growth Of Breast Cancer Cells." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204172437.htm (accessed November 17, 2024).

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