IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Loss of the Vitamin D Receptor Exacerbates Influenza Severity Through Dysregulated Immunity and Elevated Parathyroid Hormone

Loss of the Vitamin D Receptor Exacerbates Influenza Severity Through Dysregulated Immunity and Elevated Parathyroid Hormone

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Video Summary

Researchers studied whole-body and myeloid-specific VDR knockout mice infected with influenza to understand how vitamin D signaling affects immune defense. VDR loss caused worse weight loss, lower survival, higher viral loads, stronger lung inflammation, and dysregulated cytokine responses, including elevated baseline TNF-alpha and later IL-10 compensation. Knockout mice also showed reduced NK cells and increased CD4 T cells, myeloid cells, and interferon-gamma. Extra parathyroid hormone worsened disease in wild-type mice, suggesting high PTH contributes to severity. Overall, VDR helps control antiviral immunity and inflammation, and maintaining adequate vitamin D may reduce influenza-related immune and endocrine dysfunction.

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Date April 17, 2026 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

Room 104AB

Session Cytokines and Inflammation in Antiviral Immunity

Speaker Mengzhu Tang

Track Viral Immunology (VIR)

Year 2026

Keywords

vitamin D receptor

influenza infection

immune response

cytokine dysregulation

parathyroid hormone

April 17, 2026 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

104AB

Cytokines and Inflammation in Antiviral Immunity

Mengzhu Tang

Viral Immunology (VIR)

2026