Hector Floyd DeLuca

I have devoted my research career mainly to vitamin D and physiological events linked to the function of this vitamin. My group essentially defined the vitamin D-based endocrine system.  My continuing research has made major contributions to various important aspects of vitamin D physiology, metabolism and function, including cloning the vitamin D receptor, identifying and characterizing the CYP24A1 that degrades the active forms of vitamin D, and elucidating the mechanisms of the regulation of genes by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃. Among the most important research activities has been the synthesis of tissue-specific analogs of vitamin D for the treatment of diseases.  My group has produced eight pharmaceuticals that are used for the treatment of diseases, including osteoporosis, vitamin D-resistant rickets, and bone diseases linked to kidney failure. I founded 3 successful companies; have won many national and international prizes; published 1200+ papers and 1500 patents in my 50 years of contributions to the vitamin D field.