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- Title
The role of vitamin D in the control of Leishmania infection<sup>1</sup>.
- Authors
Ramos-Martínez, Espiridión; Gutierrez-Kobeh, Laila; Villaseñor-Cardoso, Mónica Irais
- Abstract
Vitamin D has been described as an essential element for maintaining the homeostasis of mineral content in the body and bone architecture. However, our view of the physiological functions of this micronutrient has radically changed, owing to the vast number of properties, not calcium-related, mediated by its nuclear receptor. This receptor has been found in a variety of cells, including the immune cells, where many of the functions performed by vitamin D are related to inflammation. Although the effect of vitamin D has been widely studied in many diseases caused by viruses or bacteria, very little is known about its role in parasitic diseases, such as leishmaniasis, which is a vector-borne disease caused by different species of the intracellular parasite Leishmania spp. This disease occurs as a spectrum of different clinical syndromes, all of them characterized by a large amount of tissue damage, sometimes leading to necrosis. Owing to the involvement of vitamin D in inflammation and wound healing, its role in leishmaniasis must be relevant, and could be used as an adjuvant for the control of this parasitic disease, opening a possibility for a therapeutic application.
- Subjects
LEISHMANIASIS treatment; THERAPEUTIC use of vitamin D; IMMUNOREGULATION; WOUND healing; NUCLEAR receptors (Biochemistry)
- Publication
Canadian Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology, 2015, Vol 93, Issue 5, p369
- ISSN
0008-4212
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1139/cjpp-2014-0372