Exploring the Role of Vitamin D, Vitamin D-Dependent Proteins, and Vitamin D Receptor Gene Variation in Lung Cancer Risk

Sep 21, 2026

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Lung cancer shows poor prognosis due to challenges in early diagnosis and therapeutic resistance, prompting the search for biomarkers enabling earlier detection and more timely treatment. Vitamin D contributes to immunity and carcinogenesis, while the vitamin D receptor (VDR) controls expression of genes linked to physiological functions. VDR genes are highly polymorphic across populations, and reported associations between VDR polymorphisms and cancer remain inconsistent for lung cancer.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages14

Reading Time35 min

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Abstract

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1. Introduction

Review Exploring the Role of Vitamin D, Vitamin D-Dependent Proteins, and Vitamin D Receptor Gene Variation in Lung Cancer Risk Tudor Ciocarlie 1, Alexandru Cătălin Motofelea 2,*, Nadica Motofelea 3, Alina Gabriela Dutu 4, Alexandra Crăciun 4, Dan Costachescu 5, Ciprian Ioan Roi 6, Ciprian Nicolae Silaghi 4 and Andreea Crintea 4 Citation: Ciocarlie, T.; Motofelea, A.C.; Motofelea, N.; Dutu, A.G.; Crăciun, A.; Costachescu, D.; Roi, C.I.; Silaghi, C.N.; Crintea, A. Exploring the Role of Vitamin D, Vitamin D-Dependent Proteins, and Vitamin D Receptor Gene Variation in Lung Cancer Risk. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 6664. [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)ijms25126664 Academic Editor: Robert Arthur Kratzke Received: 15 April 2024 Revised: 4 June 2024 Accepted: 12 June 2024 Published: 17 June 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Department VII Internal Medicine II, Discipline of Cardiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy“Victor Babes”, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; [ciocarlie.tudor@umft.ro](ciocarlie.tudor@umft.ro) 2 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, 300041 Timisoara, Romania 3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Eftimie Murgu Sq. No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; [nadica.motofelea@umft.ro](nadica.motofelea@umft.ro) 4 Department of Molecular Sciences, Iuliu Haieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; [alina.dutu@umfcluj.ro](alina.dutu@umfcluj.ro) (A.G.D.); [acraciun@umfcluj.ro](acraciun@umfcluj.ro) (A.C.); [silaghi.ciprian@umfcluj.ro](silaghi.ciprian@umfcluj.ro) (C.N.S.); [crintea.andreea@umfcluj.ro](crintea.andreea@umfcluj.ro) (A.C.) 5 Radiology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; [costachescu.dan@umft.ro](costachescu.dan@umft.ro) 6 Multidisciplinary Center for Research, Evaluation, Diagnosis and Therapies in Oral Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Eftimie Murgu Sq. No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; ciprian.roi@umft.ro * Correspondence: [alexandru.motofelea@umft.ro](alexandru.motofelea@umft.ro) Abstract: Lung cancer has an unfavorable prognosis with a rate of low overall survival, caused by the difficulty of diagnosis in the early stages and resistance to therapy. In recent years, there have been new therapies that use specific molecular targets and are effective in increasing the survival chances of advanced cancer. Therefore, it is necessary to find more specific biomarkers that can identify early changes in carcinogenesis and allow the earliest possible treatment. Vitamin D (VD) plays an important role in immunity and carcinogenesis. Furthermore, the vitamin D receptor (VDR) regulates the expression of various genes involved in the physiological functions of the human organism. The genes encoding the VDR are extremely polymorphic and vary greatly between human populations. To date, there are significant associations between VDR polymorphism and several types of cancer, but the data on the involvement of VDR polymorphism in lung cancer are still conflicting. Therefore, in this review, our aim was to investigate the relationship between VDR single-nucleotide polymorphisms in humans and the degree of risk for developing lung cancer. The studies showcased different gene polymorphisms to be associated with an increased risk of lung cancer: TaqI, ApaI, BsmI, FokI, and Cdx2 . In addition, there is a strong positive correlation between VD deficiency and lung cancer development. Still, due to a lack of awaren

FAQs

What is the main goal of this review?

The review investigates the relationship between VDR single-nucleotide polymorphisms and the risk of developing lung cancer.

Why is early detection important for lung cancer?

Lung cancer has a poor overall survival rate because early diagnosis is difficult and therapies can become resistant, making earlier identification critical.

Which VDR-related polymorphisms and vitamin D status are discussed?

The article highlights polymorphisms such as TaqI, ApaI, BsmI, FokI, and Cdx2, and also notes a positive correlation between vitamin D deficiency and lung cancer development.

Sep 21, 2026

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