[ot] Key Feature Of Immune System Survived In Humans, Other Primates For 60 Million Years

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Key Feature Of Immune System Survived In Humans, Other Primates For 60 Million

Years

20 Aug 2009

A new study has concluded that one key part of the immune system, the ability of

vitamin D to regulate anti-bactericidal proteins, is so important that is has

been conserved through almost 60 million years of evolution and is shared only

by primates, including humans - but no other known animal species.

The fact that this vitamin-D mediated immune response has been retained through

millions of years of evolutionary selection, and is still found in species

ranging from squirrel monkeys to baboons and humans, suggests that it must be

critical to their survival, researchers say.

Even though the " cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide " has several different

biological activities in addition to killing pathogens, it's not clear which

one, or combination of them, makes vitamin D so essential to its regulation.

The research also provides further evidence of the biological importance of

adequate levels of vitamin D in humans and other primates, even as some studies

and experts suggest that more than 50 percent of the children and adults in the

U.S. are deficient in " the sunshine vitamin. "

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=161182

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