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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes

Published on: September 26, 2013

Immunomodulatory effects mediated by serotonin.

Rodrigo Arreola¹, Enrique Becerril-Villanueva², Carlos Cruz-Fuentes¹

¹Psychiatric Genetics Department, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Psychiatry, "Ramón de la Fuente", Calzada México-Xochimilco 101, Colonia San Lorenzo Huipulco, Tlalpan, 14370 Mexico City, DF, Mexico.

Journal of Immunology Research

|May 12, 2015

Summary

Serotonin (5-HT) impacts immune cells, modulating functions like activation and cytokine secretion. Targeting the serotonergic system offers potential therapeutic strategies for inflammatory diseases.

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Last Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes

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Published on: September 26, 2013

Author Spotlight: Achieving High-Purity In Vitro Differentiation of Th17 Cells Using Cytokine Concentration Modulation

Author Spotlight: Achieving High-Purity In Vitro Differentiation of Th17 Cells Using Cytokine Concentration Modulation

Published on: October 25, 2024

Area of Science:

Immunology
Neuroscience
Pharmacology

Background:

Serotonin (5-HT) exerts concentration-dependent metabolic effects across various cell types, including immune cells like leukocytes.
Cellular responses to 5-HT involve specific genes regulating its uptake, signaling, and metabolism, producing active catabolites.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the clinical and experimental mechanisms of 5-HT-induced immunomodulation.
To explore the cell-specific nature of these mechanisms based on serotonergic component expression in immune cells.

Main Methods:

Literature review of clinical and experimental studies on serotonin and immune cell interactions.
Analysis of gene expression patterns related to 5-HT function in different cell types.

Main Results:

5-HT modulates key immunological events, including leukocyte chemotaxis, activation, proliferation, cytokine secretion, anergy, and apoptosis.
These immunomodulatory effects are cell-specific, depending on the expression of serotonergic components.

Conclusions:

Dysregulation of the serotonergic system in leukocytes is linked to inflammatory conditions like major depression, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune diseases.
Pharmacological modulation of the serotonergic system presents a potential therapeutic avenue for managing immune function in these pathologies.