When his colleague Evangelos Giampazolias, now at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, discovered that switching off the gene which provides instructions to make the aptly named vitamin D-binding protein reduces the growth of skin cancer cells in mice, Reis e Sousa was intrigued.

NOT getting enough vitamin D could put you at greater risk of cancer, a study suggests. The nutrient — created by the body when in sunlight — encourages tumour-fighting bacteria in the gut,

The study in mice found that the vitamin encourages the growth of a type of gut bacteria which gives the animals better immunity to the disease. The researchers found that mice given a diet rich in vitamin D had better immune resistance to experimentally transplanted cancers, and improved responses to immunotherapy treatment.

Vitamin D has long been lauded for its health benefits, whether it be protecting older adults from osteoporosis or improving cognitive function. Now recent research has revealed a possible link between vitamin D and improved immunity to cancer.