Project Details
Projekt
To understand vitamin D is to become more inclusive: time to focus on tissue with mass spectrometry, as an adjunct to serum vitamin D
Subject Area
Nutritional Sciences
Analytical Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Term
since 2026
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 584513840
The overarching goal of this project is to further the understanding of vitamin D metabolic processes in serum, fat and liver tissues, by implementing a novel systemic approach that includes measuring vitamin D across tissues. The exact fate of vitamin D in the human body remains largely unknown given the focus on primarily only measuring the status marker, 25-hydroxyvitamin D in blood. Adipose tissue and liver are confirmed as vitamin D storage sites. Moreover, liver might reflect an acute storage site and mobilisation form, whereas adipose tissue might reflect longer-term storage. Unfortunately, analytical methods for determination of vitamin D metabolites in soft tissues (in particular mass spectrometry) have not reached the same level of analytical maturity as those used for blood. In this project, liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) will be further advanced for human soft tissue analysis of vitamin D. Our goal is to map the vitamin D metabolome – the spectrum and abundance of all relevant vitamin D metabolites – across multiple matched tissues including serum, adipose and liver tissues. By integrating metabolite profiling with measurements of the associated enzymes regulating vitamin D metabolism, in addition to the vitamin D receptor and vitamin D binding protein, we will characterise tissue-specific metabolic (dys)regulation and mechanisms underlying functional vitamin D deficiency in obesity and liver disease, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel biomarkers of clinical conditions and understanding local vitamin D tissue metabolism in the human body within a systemic perspective. Increasing numbers of adults and children are affected by comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, cancer or liver diseases, which are linked to increased adipose tissue. Thus, quantification of multiple vitamin D metabolites may provide greater insight into the biological and systemic roles of vitamin D including those that go beyond its established functions in bone health; its pleiotropic profile. Finally, this proposed project highlights the importance of collaboration across disciplines, with nutritionists, analytical chemists, medics and food scientists working together to achieve unexplored outcomes.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
