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Tumour Buster
A form of vitamin D could help wipe
out recalcitrant breast cancer, says Biplab Das
A form of vitamin D has been found to wipe out breast cancer cells which resist radiation therapy, say a group of researchers from the Dartmouth Medical School
(DMC) in Hanover, US. Radiation treatment alone fails to destroy the cancer cells that remain even after the surgical removal of
tumours. The chemical called EB 1089, a derivative of vitamin D works in combination with radiation treatment, mopping up the remaining cancer cells. "The results of our latest study with EB 1089 are very encouraging," said Dr. Sujatha
Sundaram, lead researcher at DMC.
Their findings have been published in the Journal of Clinical
Cancer Research. The research team compared tumour growth in mice treated with radiation alone and mice exposed to radiation and EB 1089. The
mice which received radiation and the chemical showed a 50 per cent greater decrease in tumour volume, compared to the group that only received radiation. "The vitamin D compound has proven effective in enhancing the efficacy of radiation treatments in our studies with cell cultures and now in live mice," Sundaram said.
It is widely known that vitamin D - naturally manufactured by the body after exposure to sunlight - helps to prevent several forms of cancers. But too much vitamin D increases calcium absorption. This can have deleterious effects on bone metabolism and structure. However, EB 1089 has fewer calcium-related side effects. "It is relatively non-toxic, compared to other chemical agents of chemotherapy that cause hair loss, loss of appetite and several other side-effects," said
Sundaram.
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4 more benefits from vitamin D
1) The vitamin helps prevent advanced prostate cancer. Researchers from Oregon Health and Science University have found that high doses of calcitrol - the active form of vitamin D administered in combination with the chemotherapy agent docetaxel - appears to accelerate recovery from advanced prostate cancer.
2) Scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, report that vitamin D regulates calcium absorption in the
body which helps prevent the build-up of the mineral in the arteries, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.
3) Dr. Michael F. Holick, an endocrinologist from Boston University Medical Sciences reports that vitamin D can be used to treat osteoporosis, kidney failure and psoriasis. Holick's study has been published in
Current Opinions in Endocrinology and Diabetes.
4) It helps in the absorption of phosphorous, boosts immune response, and maintains normal thyroid function. It also aids in the prevention of colon cancer, osteoarthritis and blood clotting. |
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