Use of alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 treatment to stimulate immune infiltration into head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Prior studies have shown that treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2)D(3)] reduced intratumoral levels of immune inhibitory CD34(+) progenitor cells while increasing levels of mature progeny dendritic cells.

This finding was extended to a pilot study to determine whether 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) treatment concurrently increases levels of intratumoral CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, increases intratumoral levels of immune cells expressing the early activation marker CD69, and prolongs time to HNSCC recurrence.

The clinical trial comprised 16 patients with newly diagnosed HNSCC being untreated and 16 patients being treated with 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) during the 3-week interval between cancer diagnosis and surgical treatment.

Immunologic effects of treatment were monitored by immunohistochemical analyses of surgically removed HNSCC.

Clinical effectiveness of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) treatment in this study was measured by the time to HNSCC recurrence.

HNSCC tissues of patients who received treatment with 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) contained increased levels of CD4(+) cells and, more significantly, CD8(+) T cells. Also prominent was an increase in cells expressing the lymphoid activation marker CD69.

Results of this pilot study suggest that patients treated with 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) had a lengthier time to tumor recurrence compared with patients who were not treated before surgery.

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See also:

- Official Web Site: The Di Bella Method;

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Dihydrotachysterol, Alfacalcidol, synthetic Vitamin D3);

- Vitamin D (analogues and/or derivatives) and cancer - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Calcium, 2 grams per day, orally);

- The Di Bella Method DBM improved survival objective response and performance status in a retrospective observational clinical study on 23 tumours of the head and neck;

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- Complete objective response, stable for 5 years, with the Di Bella Method, of multiple-metastatic carcinoma of the breast;

- Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the first-line treatment with somatostatin combined with melatonin, retinoids, vitamin D3, and low doses of cyclophosphamide in 20 cases of breast cancer: a preliminary report;

- The Di Bella Method (DBM) improved survival, objective response and performance status in a retrospective observational clinical study on 122 cases of breast cancer;

- Complete objective response to biological therapy of plurifocal breast carcinoma;

- Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme (grade IV – WHO 2007): a case of complete objective response achieved by means of the concomitant administration of Somatostatin and Octreotide – Retinoids – Vitamin E – Vitamin D3 – Vitamin C – Melatonin – D2 R agonists (Di Bella Method – DBM) associated with Temozolomide.