more on vit D and ovarian cancer

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fyi:

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1 & Sect2=HITOFF & d=PG01 & p=1 & u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html & r=1 & f=G & l=50 & s1="20040167106".PGNR. & OS=DN/20040167106 & RS=DN/20040167106

US Patent

"The major therapeutic uses of Vitamin D are divided into four categories: (1) prophylaxis and cure of nutritional rickets, (2) treatment of metabolic rickets and osteomalacia, particularly in the setting of chronic renal failure, (3) treatment of hypoparathyroidism, and (4) prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. "

"Vitamin D and its analogues and derivatives are taught to have possible utility in the treatment, rather than prevention, of cancers by retarding tumor growth and in stimulating the differentiation of malignant cells to normal cells. For example, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.sub.3 possesses potent antileukemic activity by virtue of inducing the differentiation of leukemia cells to non-malignant macrophages. "

"Vitamin D and its metabolic products while potentially useful in retarding tumor growth have the disadvantage that they are very potent calcemic agents that cause elevated blood calcium levels by stimulating intestinal calcium absorption and bone calcium resorption. Accordingly, there has been a desire in the art for Vitamin D analogues and derivatives having variant activities. such that, for example, antileukemic activity is enhanced without concomitant enhancement of calcemic activity. "

Regards.