New research highlights the anti-aging benefits of vitamin D and its receptor in Drosophila, revealing their significant role in stem cell health and longevity, and providing insights into aging mechanisms.

Adult stem cells play a crucial role in keeping tissue balance, with their diminished functionality tied to aging and related illnesses, affected by the surrounding cells’ environment. Clinical studies in humans have consistently shown a decrease in vitamin D and its receptor levels due to aging and cancer. Despite this, the ways in which the vitamin D/vitamin D receptor (VitD/VDR) pathway aids in anti-aging and life span extension remain unclear.

In a new study, researchers Joung-Sun Park, Hyun-Jin Na, and Yung-Jin Kim from Pusan National University and Korea Food Research Institute aimed to determine the protective role of the vitamin D/vitamin D receptor pathway in differentiated enterocytes (ECs) during intestinal stem cell (ISC) aging.

Study Objective and Methodology

The researchers stated, “This study aimed to determine the protective role of VitD/VDR in differentiated ECs during ISC aging using the adult Drosophila intestine model.”

By utilizing a well-established Drosophila midgut model for stem cell aging biology, the researchers revealed 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. In conclusion, this 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.

“Our findings suggest a direct evidence of the anti-aging role of the vitamin D/vitamin D receptor pathway and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying healthy aging in Drosophila.”