Vitamin D

Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency is a worldwide, public health problem in both developed and developing countries. Rickets among infants has reemerged. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with increased risk and mortality from cancer. At the same time, the beneficial effects of vitamin D on a host of conditions have recently been discovered. Focusing on areas not extensively covered in other comparable books, Vitamin D: Oxidative Stress, Immunity, and Aging highlights the most recent research findings on the impact of this nutrient in oxidative stress, immunity, and aging.

A state-of-the-art compilation of essential information, this book explores:

• Vitamin D and its genomic and nongenomic effects, the role of therapeutic analogs in treating disease, and the production of vitamin D by the body
• The role vitamin D plays in modulating oxidative stress—with emphasis on cancer, stress-mediated diseases, photo-protection of the skin, and energy metabolism
• Beneficial effects of vitamin D in regulating the immune response and its importance in protecting against autoimmune, infectious, and inflammatory diseases
• The role vitamin D plays in the regulation of the aging process—including aspects of oxidative stress, senescence, and mortality, as well as its role in protection against cardiovascular disease and nervous system disorders

This book represents an important contribution toward understanding the mechanisms by which vitamin D promotes health, increasing awareness of the importance that vitamin D plays during development, at birth, and throughout the aging process. It is a valuable reference for researchers in academia, nutrition, medicine, and industry.

Adrian F. Gombart received a Ph.D. degree in microbiology from the University of Washington. For many years, he was an assistant and associate professor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Division of Hematology and Oncology. He is currently a principal investigator in the Linus Pauling Institute and an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Oregon State University. Dr. Gombart is a member of the American Society for Hematology and the Society for Leukocyte Biology. Dr. Gombart’s research interests focus on the role of vitamin D in the innate immune response against infection. His laboratory studies the regulation of antimicrobial peptide gene expression by vitamin D and other nutritional compounds. He was recognized for his contributions to the field of vitamin D and immunity, with a Young Investigator Award from the Vitamin D Workshop in 2005.