Melatonin / MAPK Cancer Research Results

MEL, Melatonin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Hormone in the body made by pineal gland.
• Melatonin is a potent antioxidant. It neutralizes reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), which are involved in DNA damage and cancer progression.
• Melatonin has been shown to modulate apoptotic pathways by influencing mitochondrial permeability, cytochrome c release, and caspase activation.
• In several cancer cell models, melatonin appears to promote apoptosis in malignant cells while sparing normal cells.

The most well-known indolamines are serotonin and melatonin, both of which play significant roles in regulating mood, sleep, and overall mental well-being.

Melatonin doses (20 mg to even 40 mg per day), often given as an adjuvant treatment for cancer.
-The plasma half-life of melatonin is generally in the range of approximately 20 to 60 minutes
-It has been suggested that administering melatonin at the appropriate phase of the circadian cycle may enhance its anti-tumor activity and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Bio-availability: Oral melatonin has a low and variable bio-availability (often estimated between 3% and 33%), which means that only a fraction of the ingested dose reaches the bloodstream unchanged.

For proOxidant effect might need >10uM, which might be 100mg dose (assuming 10% bio-availability) Might also be required X10 levels?
-It remains unknown whether the pro-oxidant action exists in vivo. the vast majority of evidence indicates that melatonin is a potent antioxidant in vivo even at pharmacological concentrations.

Interactions:
-Melatonin could potentially add to the blood pressure–lowering properties of antihypertensive drugs.
-Patients using insulin should be monitored for changes in blood glucose levels.
-Melatonin might interact with drugs like warfarin, aspirin, or clopidogrel.(antiplatelet)


Melatonin Cancer Relevant Pathways
Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells Label Primary Interpretation Notes
1 Circadian signaling (MT1 / MT2 receptors) ↓ proliferative circadian disruption ↑ circadian synchronization Driver Chronobiology normalization Melatonin restores circadian control; cancer cells lose growth advantages from circadian dysregulation
2 Reactive oxygen species (ROS) ↓ ROS (baseline); context-dependent ↑ stress signaling ↓ ROS (strong buffering) Driver Antioxidant dominance with signaling effects Melatonin is a potent direct and indirect antioxidant; cancer cells may still undergo stress-mediated growth inhibition
3 Mitochondrial function ↓ metabolic flexibility; ↑ apoptosis sensitivity ↑ mitochondrial efficiency Secondary Mitochondrial stabilization vs vulnerability Melatonin improves mitochondrial function in normal cells while limiting metabolic plasticity in cancer cells
4 Estrogen signaling (ERα modulation) ↓ estrogen-driven proliferation ↔ minimal Secondary Hormone-dependent growth suppression Particularly relevant in breast and hormone-responsive cancers
5 NF-κB signaling ↓ inflammatory / survival signaling ↓ inflammatory tone Secondary Anti-inflammatory modulation NF-κB suppression contributes to reduced tumor-promoting inflammation
6 Cell cycle regulation ↓ proliferation / ↑ arrest ↔ spared Phenotypic Cytostatic growth control Growth inhibition reflects upstream circadian and hormonal effects
7 Apoptosis sensitivity ↑ sensitivity to apoptosis (chemo/RT) ↓ apoptosis Phenotypic Therapy sensitization Melatonin enhances response to chemo- and radiotherapy while protecting normal tissue


MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinase: Click to Expand ⟱
Source: CGL-CS
Type:
Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are a group of proteins involved in transmitting signals from the cell surface to the nucleus, playing a crucial role in various cellular processes, including growth, differentiation, and apoptosis (programmed cell death).

MAPK Pathways: The MAPK family includes several pathways, the most notable being:
1.ERK (Extracellular signal-Regulated Kinase): Often associated with cell proliferation and survival.
2.JNK (c-Jun N-terminal Kinase): Typically involved in stress responses and apoptosis.
3.p38 MAPK: Associated with inflammatory responses and apoptosis.

Inhibitors: Targeting the MAPK pathway has become a strategy in cancer therapy. For example, BRAF inhibitors (like vemurafenib) are used in treating melanoma with BRAF mutations.
Altered Expression Levels:
Overexpression: Many cancers exhibit overexpression of MAPK pathway components, such as RAS, BRAF, and MEK. This overexpression can lead to increased signaling activity, promoting cell proliferation and survival.
Downregulation: In some cases, negative regulators of the MAPK pathway (e.g., MAPK phosphatases) may be downregulated, leading to enhanced MAPK signaling.
The expression levels of MAPK pathway components can serve as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response. For example, high levels of phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) may indicate active MAPK signaling and poor prognosis in certain cancers.

Numerous reports indicate that the MAPK pathway plays a major role in tumor progression and invasion, while inhibition of MAPK signaling reduces invasion.


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
1782- MEL,    Melatonin in Cancer Treatment: Current Knowledge and Future Opportunities
- Review, Var, NA
AntiCan↑, Apoptosis↑, TumCP↓, TumCG↑, TumMeta↑, ChemoSideEff↓, radioP↑, ChemoSen↑, *ROS↓, *SOD↑, *GSH↑, *GPx↑, *Catalase↑, Dose∅, VEGF↓, eff↑, Hif1a↓, GLUT1↑, GLUT3↑, CAIX↑, P21↑, p27↑, PTEN↑, Warburg↓, PI3K↓, Akt↓, NF-kB↓, cycD1/CCND1↓, CDK4↓, CycB/CCNB1↓, CDK4↓, MAPK↑, IGF-1R↓, STAT3↓, MMP9↓, MMP2↓, MMP13↓, E-cadherin↑, Vim↓, RANKL↓, JNK↑, Bcl-2↓, P53↑, Casp3↑, Casp9↑, BAX↑, DNArepair↑, COX2↓, IL6↓, IL8↓, NO↓, T-Cell↑, NK cell↑, Treg lymp↓, FOXP3↓, CD4+↑, TNF-α↑, Th1 response↑, BioAv↝, RadioS↑, OS↑,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 1 of 1

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 1

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

CAIX↑, 1,   Warburg↓, 1,  

Cell Death

Akt↓, 1,   Apoptosis↑, 1,   BAX↑, 1,   Bcl-2↓, 1,   Casp3↑, 1,   Casp9↑, 1,   JNK↑, 1,   MAPK↑, 1,   p27↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair

DNArepair↑, 1,   P53↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence

CDK4↓, 2,   CycB/CCNB1↓, 1,   cycD1/CCND1↓, 1,   P21↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

IGF-1R↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 1,   PTEN↑, 1,   STAT3↓, 1,   TumCG↑, 1,  

Migration

E-cadherin↑, 1,   MMP13↓, 1,   MMP2↓, 1,   MMP9↓, 1,   Treg lymp↓, 1,   TumCP↓, 1,   TumMeta↑, 1,   Vim↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature

Hif1a↓, 1,   NO↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport

GLUT1↑, 1,   GLUT3↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

CD4+↑, 1,   COX2↓, 1,   FOXP3↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,   IL8↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 1,   NK cell↑, 1,   T-Cell↑, 1,   Th1 response↑, 1,   TNF-α↑, 1,  

Hormonal & Nuclear Receptors

RANKL↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

BioAv↝, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 1,   Dose∅, 1,   eff↑, 1,   RadioS↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers

IL6↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

AntiCan↑, 1,   ChemoSideEff↓, 1,   OS↑, 1,   radioP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 56

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

Catalase↑, 1,   GPx↑, 1,   GSH↑, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   SOD↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 5

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinase
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells
Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:122  Target#:181  State#:%  Dir#:2
wNotes=0 sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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