TLDR The vitamin D receptor helps maintain hair and bone health even without binding vitamin D.
The study highlighted that the vitamin D receptor (VDR) has ligand-independent actions crucial for maintaining hair follicle homeostasis, beyond its known role in regulating calcium levels and bone integrity. It was observed that mice deficient in 1,25(OH)2D3 had more severe rickets than VDR-null mice, suggesting that unliganded VDR is active. Further research in mice with 1,25(OH)2D3-binding deficient VDRs showed that unliganded VDR represses many genes and causes more severe skeletal and mineral ion defects than VDR-null mice, although only the latter exhibited alopecia. The findings suggested potential treatments using vitamin D analogues for patients with VDR mutations that impair 1,25(OH)2D3 binding.
13 citations,
February 2016 in “Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology/The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology” Mice without active or present vitamin D receptors maintain normal blood sugar control and islet gene expression when calcium levels are normal.
25 citations,
August 2014 in “Endocrinology” Researchers created a mouse model of a type of rickets that does not cause hair loss.
107 citations,
March 2014 in “BoneKEy Reports” Mutations in the vitamin D receptor cause hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets, leading to poor bone health and requiring high calcium doses for treatment.
28 citations,
January 2012 in “Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin” Hairless protein can both repress and activate vitamin D receptor functions, affecting gene regulation.
78 citations,
November 2005 in “Endocrinology” Hairless protein can block vitamin D activation in skin cells.
277 citations,
July 2002 in “Molecular Endocrinology” Removing part of the vitamin D receptor stops vitamin D from working properly.
148 citations,
October 2008 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” Mice without the vitamin D receptor are more prone to UV-induced skin tumors.
18 citations,
July 2010 in “Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology/The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology” The vitamin D receptor helps regulate skin and hair health independently of its usual vitamin D ligand.
62 citations,
January 2009 in “Biochemistry” Vitamin D receptor binds similarly to natural and synthetic ligands, affecting gene regulation.
1533 citations,
October 2008 in “Endocrine reviews” Mice without the vitamin D receptor have bone issues and other health problems, suggesting vitamin D is important for preventing various diseases in humans.
25 citations,
June 2017 in “Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology/The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology” VDR regulation varies by tissue and is crucial for its biological functions.
25 citations,
August 2014 in “Endocrinology” Researchers created a mouse model of a type of rickets that does not cause hair loss.
