Institut de Recherches Internationales SERVIER, Suresnes Cedex, France.
INSERM, CNRS, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
J Pineal Res. 2021 Mar;70(2):e12702. doi: 10.1111/jpi.12702. Epub 2020 Nov 24.
Melatonin was discovered more than 60 years ago. Since then, several seminal discoveries have allowed us to define its function as a neuroendocrine hormone and its molecular targets in mammals and many other species. However, many fundamental issues have not yet been solved such as the subcellular localization of melatonin synthesis and the full spectrum of its molecular targets. In addition, a considerable number of controversies persist in the field, mainly concerning how many functions melatonin has. Altogether, this illustrates how "immature" the field still is. The intention of this opinion article is to note the controversies and limitations in the field, to initiate a discussion and to make proposals/guidelines to overcome them and move the field forward.
褪黑素是 60 多年前发现的。从那时起，一些重要的发现使我们能够定义它作为神经内分泌激素的功能及其在哺乳动物和许多其他物种中的分子靶标。然而，仍有许多基本问题尚未解决，例如褪黑素合成的亚细胞定位及其分子靶标的全部范围。此外，该领域仍存在大量争议，主要涉及褪黑素具有多少种功能。总的来说，这表明该领域仍处于“不成熟”状态。本文的目的是指出该领域的争议和局限性，引发讨论，并提出建议/指导方针以克服这些问题并推动该领域向前发展。
