REVIEW ARTICLE published: 13 June 2014 doi: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00213 The impact of vitamin D in breast cancer: genomics, pathways, metabolism Carmen J. Narvaez 1, Donald Matthews 1,2, Erika LaPorta 1,2, Katrina M. Simmons 1,2, Sarah Beaudin 1,2 and JoEllen Welsh 1,3* 1 Cancer Research Center, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA 2 Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA 3 Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA Edited by: Nuclear receptors exert profound effects on mammary gland physiology and have complex Carsten Carlberg, University of roles in the etiology of breast cancer. In addition to receptors for classic steroid hormones Eastern Finland, Finland such as estrogen and progesterone, the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) interacts Reviewed by: with its ligand 1α,25(OH) D to modulate the normal mammary epithelial cell genome Mieke Verstuyf, KU Leuven, Belgium 2 3 Moray J. Campbell, Roswell Park and subsequent phenotype. Observational studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency Cancer Institute, USA is common in breast cancer patients and that low vitamin D status enhances the *Correspondence: risk for disease development or progression. Genomic profiling has characterized many JoEllen Welsh, Cancer Research 1α,25(OH)2D3 responsive targets in normal mammary cells and in breast cancers, Center, University at Albany, 1 providing insight into the molecular actions of 1α,25(OH) D and the VDR in regulation Discovery Drive, Rensselaer, 2 3 NY 12144, USA of cell cycle, apoptosis, and differentiation. New areas of emphasis include regulation e-mail:
[email protected] of tumor metabolism and innate immune responses.