http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. The indication that vitamin D and its derivatives have a protective effect against various types of cancer is not new. In the field of colon cancer, numerous experimental and epidemiological studies show that vitamin D3 (or cholecalciferol) and some of its derivatives inhibit the growth of cancerous cells. Researchers at the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), in collaboration with the Alberto Sols Institute of Biomedical Research (CSIC-UAB), have confirmed the pivotal role of vitamin D, specifically its receptor (VDR), in slowing down the action of a key protein in the carcinogenic transformation process of colon cancer cells. These results are being published in the journal PLoS One. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-vitamin-d-agent-advance-colon.html Cancer Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:17:00 EST news232705003 Vitamin D supplements may help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) get more from their pulmonary rehabilitation programs, according to a study conducted by researchers from Belgium. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-vitamin-d-outcomes-patients-copd.html Health Mon, 16 May 2011 03:28:16 EST news224735263