This review highlights that melatonin can be an adjuvant therapy and be beneficial in treating patients suffering from colorectal cancer. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Therapeutic Opportunities in Colorectal Cancer: Focus on Melatonin Antioncogenic Action.
Biomed Res Int. 2019 ;2019:9740568. Epub 2019 Sep 17. PMID: 31637261
Hucong Wu
Colorectal cancer (CRC) influences individual health worldwide with high morbidity and mortality. Melatonin, which shows multiple physiological functions (e.g., circadian rhythm, immune modulation, and antioncogenic action), can be present in almost all organisms and found in various tissues including gastrointestinal tract. Notably, melatonin disruption is closely associated with the elevation of CRC incidence, indicating that melatonin is effective in suppressing CRC development and progression. Mechanistically, melatonin favors in activating apoptosis and colon cancer immunity, while reducing proliferation, autophagy, metastasis, and angiogenesis, thereby exerting its anticarcinogenic effects. This review highlights that melatonin can be an adjuvant therapy and be beneficial in treating patients suffering from CRC.