The vitamin D receptor gene as a determinant of survival in pancreatic cancer patients: Genomic analysis and experimental validation.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

New interventions based on novel targets are needed.

The researchers aim to identify new genetic determinants of overall survival (OS) in patients after treatment with gemcitabine using genome-wide screens of germline DNA.

The researchers aim also to support these findings with in vitro functional analysis.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

The vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) was selected, and the interactions of genetic variation in VDR with circulating vitamin D levels and gemcitabine treatment were evaluated.

Functional effects of common VDR variants were also evaluated in experimental assays in human cell lines.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized and double-blind.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group and the comparison group should start out alike.

As a double-blind Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Adenocarcinoma, Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic, Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological, Bevacizumab, Cell Line, Tumor, Deoxycytidine and Genetic Predisposition to Disease.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and double-blind study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 4 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2018 (PloS one), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.