The importance of stereochemistry on the actions of vitamin D

The seco-steroid hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1α,25(OH)(2)D(3)] is the most potent natural metabolite of vitamin D(3) and regulates primarily calcium and phosphate homeostasis, but also as a regulator of specific differentiation and of the immune system. Most, if not all, of the biological actions of 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) are mediated through its specific receptor, the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily acting as a ligand-dependent transcription factor with coactivators. 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) has significant therapeutic potential in the treatment of osteoporosis, rickets, secondary hyperparathyroidism, psoriasis, and renal osteodystrophy. However, the use of 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) itself is limited because it induces significant hypercalcemia. Vitamin D is a highly flexible molecule and a very large number of analogs have been synthesized by industry and academia in an attempt to provide beneficial therapeutic agents with low calcemic activity. Chemical modifications of every portion of the vitamin D(3) molecule (the A, C, and D rings, the 17β-aliphatic side chain, and the 5,6,7,8-diene moiety) have been reported, with the most of the interesting analogs resulting from a combination of several modifications. The three-dimensional structure of both rat and human VDR-LBD have provided significant information for our understanding of the structure-function relationship (SFR) of vitamin D and some synthetic analogs. In this review, we focus on the current understanding of the relationship between selected stereochemical modifications of key structural components (i.e. A-ring, CD-ring and Side-chain) of the 1α,25(OH)(2)D(3) molecule and their effect on biological potency and selectivity. Based on current information, suggestions for the structure-based design of therapeutically valuable vitamin D analogs will conclude the review.