Mechanisms for immune activity of oral vitamin D (Amy Proal, 25 November 2009)

Matthias Wjst has identified a time-related correlation between vitamin D consumption and higher rates of asthma (sometimes called the vitamin hypothesis). Our own molecular and clinical work supports his findings. Marshall has shown how 25-hydroxyvitamin-D slows innate immune activity by decreasing activity of a key receptor, the VDR.[1] This immunosuppressive property of oral vitamin D has led to its use as a palliative in autoimmune conditions.[2] Yet at the same time, a large body of metagenomic research has linked inflammatory conditions, including asthma, to the presence of persistent microbes.[3, 4] For example, Bisgaard et al. found that newborns who harbor certain types of bacteria in their throats, including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus... read full comment