{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T04:55:35Z","timestamp":1776401735143,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776384000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Immunol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Elevated levels of serum Vitamin D (VitD) and increased expression of its receptor on peripheral blood cells have been reported in individuals who have been exposed to HIV-1 yet remain seronegative (HESN). This study aimed to investigate the potential antiviral role of VitD in the female genital epithelium, which constitutes the first physical barrier against HIV-1. We hypothesized that VitD may modulate susceptibility to HIV-1 infection by influencing epithelial functions such as tight junction integrity, production of antiviral peptides, and secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Endocervical (End1), ectocervical (Ect1) and vaginal (Vk2) epithelial cell lines were cultured in transwells and treated for 24 hours with VitD (1x10\n                      <jats:sup>-8<\/jats:sup>\n                      M). After VitD removal, HIV-1 were added to the apical chamber, and CD4+ T cells (HIV targets) were placed in the basal chamber. HIV-1 transmigration and infection of CD4+ T cells were quantified. CAMP (cathelicidin) transcript levels and protein secretion were also measured.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Pre-treatment of End1, Ect1 and Vk2 epithelial monolayers with VitD reduced HIV-infection of the CD4+ T cells in the basal chamber by 50%, 53%, and 31%, respectively. Only a fraction of the HIV-1 virion applied apically transmigrated across the epithelium. The infectivity of the residual apical HIV-1 virion in the VitD-pre-treated End1, Ect1, and VK2 cultures was reduced by 42%, 36%, and 25%, respectively. These reductions were accompanied by increased RNA transcripts encoding Cathelicidin Antimicrobial Peptide (CAMP) and elevated secretion of CAMP protein into the apical chamber.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These findings provide evidence that VitD enhances the antiviral properties of female genital epithelium and reduces HIV-1 infectivity.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2026.1758656","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T04:15:09Z","timestamp":1776399309000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Vitamin D boosts HIV-1 resistance in female genital epithelial cells by enhancing antiviral cathelicidin expression"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Sandra M.","family":"Gonzalez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Sexually Transmitted Blood Borne Infection Laboratory Division, National Microbiology Laboratories, Public Health Agency of Canada","place":["Winnipeg, MB, Canada"]},{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba","place":["Winnipeg, MB, Canada"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wbeimar","family":"Aguilar-Jimenez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Grupo Inmunovirolog\u00eda, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia (UdeA)","place":["Medell\u00edn, Colombia"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maria T.","family":"Rugeles","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Grupo Inmunovirolog\u00eda, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia (UdeA)","place":["Medell\u00edn, Colombia"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Abu Bakar","family":"Siddik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Sexually Transmitted Blood Borne Infection Laboratory Division, National Microbiology Laboratories, Public Health Agency of Canada","place":["Winnipeg, MB, Canada"]},{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba","place":["Winnipeg, MB, Canada"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Erica Hofer","family":"Labossiere","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Sexually Transmitted Blood Borne Infection Laboratory Division, National Microbiology Laboratories, Public Health Agency of Canada","place":["Winnipeg, MB, Canada"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"T. Blake","family":"Ball","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Sexually Transmitted Blood Borne Infection Laboratory Division, National Microbiology Laboratories, Public Health Agency of Canada","place":["Winnipeg, MB, Canada"]},{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba","place":["Winnipeg, MB, Canada"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ruey-Chyi","family":"Su","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Sexually Transmitted Blood Borne Infection Laboratory Division, National Microbiology Laboratories, Public Health Agency of Canada","place":["Winnipeg, MB, Canada"]},{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba","place":["Winnipeg, MB, 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