Verhoeff's query: is vitamin D effective against retinoblastoma?
D. M. Albert, A. M. Saulenas and S. M. Cohen
Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston 02114.
In 1966, Verhoeff suggested that retinoblastomas might be sensitive to
vitamin D because they sometimes undergo calcification and spontaneous
regression. In recent years, the antineoplastic effect of vitamin D has
been established in vitro and in vivo. This study presents evidence that
vitamin D2 inhibits the growth of the human retinoblastoma cell line (Y-79)
grown in athymic mice. In mice treated with ergocalciferol, the
subcutaneous retinoblastomas were smaller and showed increased tumor
necrosis and calcification. Unfortunately, the vitamin D caused significant
toxic reactions. Further studies that reduce the toxicity of vitamin D will
be needed before its use in children with retinoblastomas can be advocated.
To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the activity of
ergocalciferol against a tumor in vivo and it suggests that ergocalciferol
or one of its derivatives may be an effective chemotherapeutic agent
against retinoblastomas in humans.
