Pathogenic roles of alterations in vitamin D and vitamin D receptor in gastric tumorigenesis

// Chao Du 1,2 , Shiming Yang 1 , Xiaoyan Zhao 1 and Hui Dong 1,3 1 Department of Gastroenterology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China 2 Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China 3 Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA Correspondence to: Xiaoyan Zhao, email: // Hui Dong, email: // Keywords : vitamin D, vitamin D receptor, gastric cancer, tumorigenesis Received : December 10, 2016 Accepted : January 20, 2017 Published : February 11, 2017 Abstract Gastric cancer is currently the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, especially in Japan, Korea and China, and the 5-year survival rate of gastric cancer is less than 30%. Thus, it is important to shed more lights on novel agents to prevent gastric cancer or to improve survival rate of the patients. Vitamin D not only maintains calcium and bone homeostasis, but also mostly inhibits tumor genesis, invasion, and metastasis through activation of vitamin D receptor. Although epidemiological results are not consistent, accumulating evidence from gastric cancer cells, animal models, and clinical trials suggest that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk and mortality of gastric cancer, but vitamin D supplement might be a safe and economical way to prevent or treat gastric cancer. Here, we reviewed the current studies on vitamin D and its receptor and focused on the pathogenic roles of their alterations in gastric tumorigenesis.