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Article: Melatonin for cancer.(benefits of melatonin)
- Article from:
- Internal Medicine News
- Article date:
- February 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 International Medical News Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The indolamine hormone melatonin, secreted by the pineal gland, is widely acknowledged for its effects on sleep and circadian rhythm, and is used by many people as a sleep aid and to prevent jet lag. Less widely known are its antiproliferative, oncostatic, antioxidant, and immunostimulatory effects, which could prove beneficial in cancer treatment.
Potential mechanisms of action that have been proposed include downregulation of oncogene expression, inhibition of growth factors, suppression of linoleic acid uptake by tumor cells, and antiangiogenic effects. Melatonin also modulates the cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents (J. Clin. Oncol. ...