New Insights into Vitamin D and Autophagy in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Vitamin D exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in both health and disease. The importance of vitamin D in protection against various inflammatory and metabolic diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), has been discussed. Considerable data indicate a role for vitamin D in the activation of autophagy, an intracellular renewal system that maintains homeostasis by eliminating large protein aggregates and damaged organelles. Recent studies have demonstrated an intricate interplay between autophagy and the regulation of inflammation, suggesting that autophagy-modulating agents could be used to treat IBDs. This review focuses on the role and mechanisms of vitamin D in autophagy and the regulation of intestinal inflammation. Vitamin D shows promise for the prevention and amelioration of pathologic responses in IBD, an effect that is mediated, at least in part, by the induction and modulation of autophagy.