Vitamin D, Analogues, Drugs, and their Relevance to Cancer Inhibition

When ultraviolet rays hit the skin, they initiate a series of reactions in the body that ultimately result in the synthesis of an active form of vitamin D₃ , an essential hormone best known for promoting healthy bone formation by regulating blood concentrations of HPO₄ ²⁻ and Ca²⁺ . However, most if not all cells present receptors for vitamin D₃ , suggesting that metabolites of the vitamin may play a role in myriad physiological processes. Indeed vitamin-D deficiencies, which could be caused by inadequate exposure to sunlight, were linked to a growing list of disorders, for example, osteoporosis, certain types of cancers, heart disease and susceptibility to infection, and autoimmune diseases, for example, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and type-1 diabetes.