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Current Medicinal Chemistry

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 0929-8673
ISSN (Online): 1875-533X

Review Article

Vitamin D and the Epigenetic Machinery in Colon Cancer

Author(s): Meiyan Sun* and Bin Guo*

Volume 24, Issue 9, 2017

Page: [888 - 897] Pages: 10

DOI: 10.2174/0929867324666161117155325

Price: $65

Abstract

Vitamin D is an important hormone that regulates many physiological processes related to human health. Through its nuclear receptor, VDR, vitamin D controls gene expression through genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Increasing data have demonstrated the anti-cancer activities of vitamin D in various cancers, including colon cancer. This review summarizes the recent progresses in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of vitamin D and its interaction with the epigenetic machinery in colon cancer. Vitamin D changes the status of DNA methylation and histone modifications, resulting in the activation of tumor suppressors and inhibition of oncogenes. In addition, vitamin D activates the expression of tumor suppressing miRNAs, which contribute to the tumor suppressive activity. Further understanding of the epigenetic action of vitamin D will help the development of therapeutic strategies targeting the vitamin D signaling pathway without inducing the hypercalcemic side effects.

Keywords: Vitamin D, epigenetics, microRNA, DNA methylation, histone methylation, chemotherapy.


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