Post #4818

Serotonin Could Play an Unexpected Role in Cancer, Scientists Discover Serotonin is often described as the happiness chemical because of its well-known role in regulating mood. However, recent research suggests this familiar molecule may play an unexpected role in cancer development. Not through its effects on the brain, but through a completely different mechanism in other parts of the body. Despite serotonin being commonly associated with the brain, almost 95% of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut. From there, it enters the bloodstream and travels to various organs and tissues, including the liver, pancreas, muscles, bones, fat tissue, and immune cells. Gut serotonin helps regulate blood sugar levels through its actions on the liver and pancreas, and regulates body temperature by acting on fat tissue. It also contributes to maintaining healthy bones, stimulating appetite and gut motility, stimulating sexual health, promoting wound healing, and supporting immunity against harmful microbes. It essentially drives the functions of many cells throughout the body, and its effects extend far beyond mood regulation. In 2019, scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York discovered that serotonin can enter cells and interact directly with DNA. They found that it binds to molecular "switches" that control whether genes are active or inactive – and this binding can turn specific genes on. Studies since then have shown that serotonin can switch on genes involved in cancer growth. This mechanism has been seen in brain, liver, and pancreatic cancers – and it may play a role in many other types of cancer. Identifying the specific sites where serotonin binds to cancer-related genes could support the development of targeted "epigenetic" therapies – treatments that control which genes are switched on or off. Source:ScienceAlert @EverythingScience