A new study has determined the protective role of the vitamin D/vitamin D receptor pathway in differentiated enterocytes (ECs) during intestinal stem cell (ISC) aging.
Adult stem cells are pivotal for maintaining tissue homeostasis. Their functional decline is linked to aging and associated diseases, influenced by the cells’ environment.
Age- and cancer-related reduction of vitamin D and its receptor levels are well documented in human clinical studies. However, the mechanisms through which the vitamin D/vitamin D receptor (VitD/VDR) pathway contributes to anti-aging and extends life expectancy are not well understood.
This new study, published in Aging, has been carried out by researchers Joung-Sun Park, Hyun-Jin Na and Yung-Jin Kim from Pusan National University and Korea Food Research Institute.
The team used a Drosophila midgut model for stem cell aging biology, revealing that vitamin D receptor knockdown in ECs induced ISC proliferation, EC death, ISC aging, and enteroendocrine cell differentiation.
Additionally, age- and oxidative stress-induced increases in ISC proliferation and centrosome amplification were reduced by vitamin D treatment.
The study provides direct evidence of the anti-aging role of the VitD/VDR pathway, involving protecting ECs during aging, and provides valuable insights for exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying enhanced healthy aging in Drosophila.
