Current research status of vitamin D and thyroid cancer / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

ABSTRACT

Vitamin D participates in a variety of biological processes. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)2D]is the active form of vitamin D. Besides its classical role in bone and calcium homeostasis, 1,25-(OH)2D has many non-classical functions such as regulating proliferation and differentiation of cells in various tissues, including tumor cells as well. However, the role of 1,25-(OH)2D in thyroid cancer is not clear yet. There are three integral components of the vitamin D pathway in thyroid cells. These components are the vitamin D receptor, 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1), and 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1). Differences in the expression levels of these components in normal thyroid tissue and thyroid cancer tissue may offer clues and lay the foundation for study of the inhibitory function in the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer.This review focuses on the insights gained in the elucidation of the role of 1,25-(OH)2D pathway in thyroid cancer, one of the most common endocrine malignancies.