The impact of vitamin D on auto-immune disease

A recent prospective study has shown that vitamin D supplementation has a “strongly positive effect” in reducing the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis, Martin Hewison, Professor of Molecular Endocrinology, explains. [embedded content] The recognition that low vitamin D levels were linked with increased risks of a variety of health issues, including common cancers and autoimmune disease, prompted calls for prospective, randomised, […]

Why do people become vitamin D deficient?

Vitamin D deficiency occurs even in sunny parts of the world and one way to tackle it could be fortification of flour, a foodstuff that is used by most communities, suggests Professor of Molecular Endocrinology, Martin Hewison. [embedded content] One reason for low levels of vitamin D is limited exposure to sunlight and countries in the far North or South […]

Vitamin D and auto-immune disease

Vitamin D has a clear role in regulating the immune/inflammatory response and association studies have demonstrated a link between vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases. However, supplementation is complicated by the lack of universal agreement about the levels that are ‘normal’ and ‘deficient’, says Professor Martin Hewison. [embedded content] Vitamin D acts in both the innate and adaptive arms of […]

Vitamin D: endocrine, intracrine and paracrine functions

Recent studies suggest that vitamin D has a much broader role in the human body than its well-documented effects on calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism. It has a role in normal immune function and could play a part in autoimmune disease. IMI spoke to Martin Hewison, Professor of molecular endocrinology at the University of Birmingham, to find out more. [embedded […]

How hepatitis E tricks the immune system

Over three million people are infected with the hepatitis E virus every year. So far, no effective treatment is available. An international team has investigated which factors are important for the virus in the course of its replication cycle and how it manages to maintain the infection. The researchers analysed various mutations of the virus and found changes that may […]

Fragile balance in the gut

The presence of probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria changes the environment in the intestine and forces the yeast fungus Candida albicans to change its metabolism, making it less infectious. This way, probiotics can contain or prevent the spread of fungal infections in the gut. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) […]