Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO, 'Centro Singular de Investigación de Galicia'), University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain.
Molecular Neuroinflammation and Neuronal Plasticity Laboratory, Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Santa Cristina, Madrid, Spain.
Med Res Rev. 2019 Nov;39(6):2239-2285. doi: 10.1002/med.21582. Epub 2019 Apr 4.
Within the last few decades, melatonin has increasingly emerged in clinical oncology as a naturally occurring bioactive molecule with substantial anticancer properties and a pharmacological profile optimal for joining the currently available pharmacopeia. In addition, extensive experimental data shows that this chronobiotic agent exerts oncostatic effects throughout all stages of tumor growth, from initial cell transformation to mitigation of malignant progression and metastasis; additionally, melatonin alleviates the side effects and improves the welfare of radio/chemotherapy-treated patients. Thus, the support of clinicians and oncologists for the use of melatonin in both the treatment and proactive prevention of cancer is gaining strength. Because of its epidemiological importance and symptomatic debut in advanced stages of difficult clinical management, colorectal cancer (CRC) is a preferential target for testing new therapies. In this regard, the development of effective forms of clinical intervention for the improvement of CRC outcome, specifically metastatic CRC, is urgent. At the same time, the need to reduce the costs of conventional anti-CRC therapy results is also imperative. In light of this status quo, the therapeutic potential of melatonin, and the direct and indirect critical processes of CRC malignancy it modulates, have aroused much interest. To illuminate the imminent future on CRC research, we focused our attention on the molecular mechanisms underlying the multiple oncostatic actions displayed by melatonin in the onset and evolution of CRC and summarized epidemiological evidence, as well as in vitro, in vivo and clinical findings that support the broadly protective potential demonstrated by melatonin.
在过去的几十年中，褪黑素作为一种具有重要抗癌特性的天然生物活性分子，在临床肿瘤学中越来越受到关注，其药理学特性使其成为当前药物库的理想补充。此外，大量实验数据表明，这种生物钟调节剂在肿瘤生长的所有阶段都发挥着抗肿瘤作用，从最初的细胞转化到恶性进展和转移的缓解；此外，褪黑素还可以减轻放疗/化疗患者的副作用并提高其生活质量。因此，临床医生和肿瘤学家对使用褪黑素治疗和主动预防癌症的支持正在增强。由于其在临床管理晚期出现的流行病学重要性和症状性首发，结直肠癌（CRC）是测试新疗法的首选靶标。在这方面，开发改善 CRC 预后的有效临床干预措施，特别是转移性 CRC，是当务之急。同时，降低常规抗 CRC 治疗成本的需求也迫在眉睫。鉴于这种现状，褪黑素的治疗潜力及其调节 CRC 恶性的直接和间接关键过程引起了广泛关注。为了阐明 CRC 研究的未来，我们关注了褪黑素在 CRC 发生和发展中表现出的多种抗肿瘤作用的分子机制，并总结了支持褪黑素广泛保护潜力的流行病学证据，以及体外、体内和临床研究结果。
