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Vitamin D is commonly associated with the prevention of major diseases — a list that seems to be growing every year. Now, a joint team of researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of British Columbia have uncovered evidence of a direct link between Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis (MS).
Published in the journal PLoS Genetics, the research study describes the interaction between genes and the environment in determining MS risk. Previous investigations, for example, have indicated that there is an increased risk of MS among people who live in regions with limited sunshine.
Under normal circumstances, the skin, when exposed to sunlight, synthesizes Vitamin D in the body. The current study suggests that, by playing a part in a person’s genetic susceptibility to MS, Vitamin D is among the most crucial environmental factors influencing onset of the disease. Specifically, Vitamin D may interact with a gene variant, HLA-DRB1*1501, and determine its expression.
Using an in vitro electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), the researchers tied Vitamin D to the genetic location of MS susceptibility. Their study, which was funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada Scientific Research Foundation and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of the United Kingdom, found that proteins activated by Vitamin D in the body bind to a particular DNA sequence positioned near HLA-DRB1*1501, a marker associated with MS, and switch the gene on. Insufficient Vitamin D prevents the HLA-DRB1*1501 allele from functioning properly. Vitamin D, they conclude, is therefore “a strong candidate for mediating the environmental effect” of MS.
In summary, the researchers state that the use of Vitamin D supplements is recommended during times of reduced sunlight exposure as a preventive against MS.
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