A Vitamin D Analogue of Anti-cancer Potential. Vitamin D Analogs in Cutaneous Malignancies. 2 D 3 has suggested numerous potential therapeutic applications for this vitamin D hormone, including inhibiting growth of various type of cancer. Unfortunately, the potent calcemic activity of the natural hormone has precluded its use in most cases.
Vitamin D analogs with higher therapeutic indices offer renewed hope for treatment of malignancies.
The promising analogs currently under study were selected from hundreds of candidates by in vitro screening followed by in vivo testing. This article discusses how the manner in which analogs associate with these proteins can potentially produce selective actions at the tissue, cell and gene level. The effects on tumor cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, metastases, and parathyroid hormone-related peptide secretion will be highlighted. In addition, combination therapy with other tumor effective drugs will be addressed. Furtermore, we will focus on the potential drawbacks and the possible side effects of vitamin D compounds in the treatment of cancer.