Professor Hewison’s work focuses on different facets of vitamin D physiology, including classical skeletal effects and non-classical extra-skeletal effects. He has a particular interest in the interaction between vitamin D and the immune system, where antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells and macrophages synthesize active vitamin D (calcitriol) and also express the nuclear receptor for calcitriol (VDR). Vitamin D can therefore act as an endogenous regulator of both innate and adaptive immunity by enhancing antibacterial activity, and modulating antigen presentation and T lymphocyte function. Crucially these responses are highly dependent on the bioavailability of vitamin D, and Professor Hewison has hypothesized that immune function is influenced by vitamin D status in humans. His group is using a variety of models to test this hypothesis including basic molecular and cell analyses, and vitamin D supplementation trials in human cohorts. A key objective of his work is to increase awareness of vitamin D-deficiency in the UK population.
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