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Published on: April 19, 2017

Vitamin D-AMP axis in host defense against fungal infections

Nuraly S Akimbekov1,2,3, Ilya Digel4, Svetlana K Sakhanova3

  • 1International Center for Islamic Science and Innovation, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Frontiers in Nutrition
|June 22, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Vitamin D enhances the body's defense against fungal infections by regulating antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). This review explores vitamin D's role in immunity, distinguishing it from direct antifungal use.

Area of Science:

  • Innate Immunology
  • Antimicrobial Peptides
  • Host Defense Mechanisms

Background:

  • Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are crucial for innate immunity, acting as a first defense against pathogens.
  • AMPs offer a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics due to their endogenous production and lower risk of resistance.
  • Optimal vitamin D levels are vital for activating antimicrobial pathways and regulating AMPs against fungal infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize recent findings on vitamin D-induced AMPs in invasive fungal infections.
  • To differentiate vitamin D as an immune modulator from vitamin D3 as a direct antifungal agent.
  • To discuss model limitations and species differences in vitamin D research.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on vitamin D, AMPs, and invasive fungal infections.
  • Analysis of studies investigating vitamin D's role in activating antimicrobial pathways.
  • Examination of species-specific regulatory mechanisms, such as primate CAMP vitamin D response elements.

Main Results:

  • Vitamin D plays a key role in regulating AMPs that combat fungal pathogens.
  • Direct use of vitamin D3 as an antifungal is limited by dosing and safety concerns (hypercalcemia).
  • Rodent model findings on vitamin D and LL-37 may not directly translate to human fungal diseases due to species-specific regulation.

Conclusions:

  • Vitamin D is a critical host immune modulator for combating invasive fungal infections like those caused by Candida, Aspergillus, and Cryptococcus.
  • Distinguishing vitamin D's immunomodulatory function from direct antifungal properties is essential for therapeutic development.
  • Further research considering species-specific differences is needed for effective translation of findings to human fungal disease treatment.
Keywords:
VDRantimicrobial peptidecathelicidindefensinsfungal infectioninnate immunityvitamin D

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