Fibrosis: a role for vitamin D

Chronic inflammation leads to fibrosis and eventually organ failure. Fibrosis is defined as a wound-healing response that has gone awry. It is featured by excessive production, deposition, and accumulation of extracellular matrix components. The key mediator cells of fibrotic disorders are the myofibroblasts, derived from different precursor cells. Myofibroblasts are responsible of stiff ECM, a hallmark of fibrosis. It is mandatory understanding the molecular pathways contributing to develop the fibrotic tissue to discovery anti-fibrotic therapies. Vitamin D, the precursor of seco-steroid hormone, appears to have anti-fibrotic properties. Vitamin D deficiency may contribute to development of different fibrotic disorders in several organs. It counteracts the pro-fibrotic signals, such as TGF-β1, through several biochemical mechanisms. Counteracting TGF-β1, Vitamin D inhibits myofibroblasts activation and ECM deposition.