Melatonin as the Cornerstone of Neuroimmunoendocrinology

Abstract

Much attention has been recently drawn to studying melatonin – a hormone whose synthesis was first found in the epiphysis (pineal gland). This interest can be due to discovering the role of melatonin in numerous physiological processes. It was the discovery of melatonin synthesis in endocrine organs (pineal gland), neural structures (Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, retinal photoreceptors), and immunocompetent cells (T lymphocytes, NK cells, mast cells) that triggered the evolution of new approaches to the unifield signal regulation of homeostasis, which, at the turn of the 21st century, lead to the creation of a new integral biomedical discipline — neuroimmunoendocrinology. While numerous hormones have been verified over the last decade outside the “classical” locations of their formation, melatonin occupies an exclusive position with regard to the diversity of locations where it is synthesized and secreted. This review provides an overview and discussion of the major data regarding the role of melatonin in various physiological and pathological processes, which affords grounds for considering melatonin as the “cornerstone” on which neuroimmunoendocrinology has been built as an integral concept of homeostasis regulation.