Melatonin, immune function and cancer

• Autores: Srinivasan, Venkataramanujan; Pandi Perumal, Seithikurippu R.; Brzezinski, Amnon; Bhatnagar, Kunwar P.; Cardinali, Daniel Pedro
• Año de publicación: 2011
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Fuente: Recent Patents on Endocrine. Metabolic & Immune Drug Discovery. 2011, 5 (2)
• Materia: MELATONINA; MELANOMA; ESTRES OXIDATIVO; NEOPLASIAS DE LA MAMA; NEOPLASIAS DEL COLON; NEOPLASIAS DEL SISTEMA DIGESTIVO; LINFOCITOS T COLABORADORES; CANCER
• Institución: Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina

Fil: Srinivasan, Venkataramanujan. Sri Sathya Sai Medical Educational and Research Foundation Prasanthi Nilayam; India
Fil: Srinivasan, Venkataramanujan. Universidad de Karpagam. Facultad de Medicina; Departamento de Fisiología; India
Fil: Pandi Perumal, Seithikurippu R. Somnogen Inc; Canadá
Fil: Brzezinski, Amnon. The Hebrew University. Hadassah Medical Center. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Israel
Fil: Bhatnagar, Kunwar P. University of Louisville. Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology; Estados Unidos
Fil: Cardinali, Daniel P. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Departamento de Docencia e Investigación; Argentina
Abstract: Melatonin is a natural substance ubiquitous in distribution and present in almost all species ranging from unicellular organisms to humans. In mammals, melatonin is synthesized not only in the pineal gland but also in many other parts of the body, including the eyes, bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract, skin and lymphocytes. Melatonin influences almost every cell and can be traced in membrane, cytoplasmic, mitochondrial and nuclear compartments of the cell. The decline in the production of melatonin with age has been suggested as one of the major contributors to immunosenescence and development of neoplastic diseases. Melatonin is a natural antioxidant with immunoenhancing properties. T‐helper cells play an important role for protection against malignancy and melatonin has been shown to enhance T‐helper cell response by releasing interleukin‐2, interleukin‐10 and interferon‐γ. Melatonin is effective in suppressing neoplastic growth in a variety of tumors like melanoma, breast cancer and ovarian and colorectal cancer. As an adjuvant therapy, melatonin can be beneficial in treating patients suffering from breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma or melanoma.