Title:Potential Mechanisms of Melatonin in Osteosarcoma and Bone-Related
Neoplasms: Updated Review
Volume: 23
Issue: 3
Author(s): Parisa Maleki Dana, Fatemeh Sadoughi, Russel J. Reiter, Bahman Yousefi*Zatollah Asemi*
Affiliation:
- Research Center for Integrative Medicine in Aging, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Research Center for Biochemistry and
Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, I.R. Iran
Keywords:
Melatonin, bone cancer, osteosarcoma, ewing’s sarcoma, metastalic, chemotheropy.
Abstract: Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a secretory product of the pineal gland. A
great number of studies have been investigating the functions of this indoleamine in various diseases.
Excessive proliferation, reduction in apoptosis, increased angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis are
all processes associated with cancerous tissues. In several cancer types, melatonin is reported to significantly
impact these processes. Although bone cancer is relatively rare, it is a serious disease that
often becomes metastatic, leading to an unsatisfactory prognosis. In recent decades, significant advances
have been made in the therapeutic strategies for bone cancer. Nevertheless, few changes have
occurred to patients’ outcomes or therapeutic methods. Currently used therapeutic strategies including
chemotherapy and radiotherapy often show serious side effects. Moreover, therapeutic options are not
sufficient in certain cases, such as metastatic forms of the disease. Therefore, there is a need for a
more precise definition of the molecular pathways and cellular functions associated with bone cancer
to find novel therapeutic approaches. With such advances, the development of new effective therapies
for patients with advanced stage or metastatic forms of the disease will be achieved, resulting in an
improved prognosis. This review summarizes what is known about the functions of melatonin in osteosarcoma
and Ewing’s sarcoma. We explain the underlying mechanisms of action by which melatonin
serves as an antitumor agent in bone cancer as well as provide an insight into its synergistic effects
with other chemotherapeutic drugs.
