Application of vitamin D and derivatives in hematological malignancies

The role of vitamin D in the inhibition of malignant cell proliferation in hematological malignancies is indicative of its future use in cancer therapy. An understanding of the biochemical mechanism by which vitamin D and its derivatives exert their effects will prove to be useful in the development of clinically applicable therapies involving vitamin D. While the use of vitamin D in clinical trials against acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome has been met with few successes thus far, in vitro and in vivo studies as well as epidemiological correlations between vitamin D deficiency and cancer have implicated the great potential of the use of vitamin D derivatives in effective therapies against neoplastic diseases. For these reasons, a focus on current understanding of role of vitamin D and derivatives in hematologic malignancies is relevant and the goal for this review.