COVID-19 & Vitamin D Research Tools

COVID-19 is a virus which has killed millions of people globally meaning there is a current need to carry out research in order to develop therapies to help treat the world wide pandemic. Vitamin D has three main protective mechanisms including keeping tight junctions which prevent cells infiltrating into the lungs, its ability to destroy enveloped viruses like COVID-19 by stimulating components such as defensins and cathelicidin LL-37 and lastly by decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in the cytokine storm in COVID-19 infections.

Cholecalciferol (vitamin D₃) is found in animal foods like fish and ergocalciferol (vitamin D₂) can be obtained from plants like edible mushrooms where it is converted from ergosterol (provitamin D₂). The majority of vitamin D is endogenously synthesized in the epidermis after ultraviolet or solar radiation exposure. In the liver both vitamin D₂ and D₃ are hydroxylated to 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and individuals are said to be vitamin D deficient if they have 25OHD levels of <30 nmol/L or <12 ng/ml. The enzyme CYP27B1 is used to convert 25OHD into 1α,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D (calcitriol) which is the final metabolically active metabolite. The vitamin D binding protein binds to vitamin D metabolites and transports them in the blood.

Assay genie offers a wide variety of human and animal ELISA kits which can help with researching the link between COVID-19 and vitamin D. Assay Genie provides ELISA kits such as vitamin D3 ELISA, vitamin D receptor ELISA, CYP27B1 ELISA, vitamin D binding protein ELISA, calcitriol ELISA and DHVD3 ELISA kits.

Recombinant proteins are useful products which enable research in areas such as biological function and disease status.

Antibodies are useful research tools for analyzing biological functions of components in the body and the CYP27B1 antibody can help with researching the link between COVID-19 and vitamin D.

Vitamin D is able to regulate both the oxidative and immune response against COVID-19 infections in the body. Upon pathogen recognition, vitamin D can help to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Vitamin D is known for downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-beta (IFN-beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6, IFN-β and TNF-alpha are cytokines involved in the cytokine storm during a COVID-19 response. As well as this, people who are deficient in vitamin D have been shown to have high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). Vitamin D also modulates IL-8 activity in the body and it stimulates cathelicidin LL-37 which targets enveloped viruses like COVID-19.