A research team has pinpointed a gene, SDR42E1, that supercharges how our bodies absorb and process vitamin D, and disabling it with CRISPR/Cas9 can cripple cancer cells. Published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, the study showed that knocking out SDR42E1 in colorectal cancer cells slashed their survival by over half and disrupted thousands of other genes tied to tumor growth and metabolism. Scientists say this opens up new pathways for precision cancer treatments, by cutting off vitamin D to tumors or boosting the gene’s action to harness vitamin D’s wider health powers.
