Serotonin and the Immune System

Anne Roumier (1) , Catherine Béchade (2, 1) , Luc Maroteaux (1)

1 IFM - Inserm U1270 - SU - Institut du Fer à Moulin
2 Institut du Fer à Moulin

The defense against pathogens is mediated by innate and adaptive immune mechanisms that act in periphery and central nervous system (CNS). Outside the CNS, serotonin is found in gastrointestinal tract and enteric nerves, in hematopoietic stem cells, and in particularly high abundance in platelets. Serotonin regulates inflammation and immunity by acting on serotonin receptors that are differentially expressed on immune cells, both in rodents and humans. Serotonin acts as a potent chemoattractant, recruiting innate immune cells to sites of inflammation. Serotonin also alters the production and release of cytokines and cell activation/proliferation. Some immune cells, including mast cells and T-lymphocytes, have the capacity to synthesize and release serotonin, expanding the range of tissues for serotonin signaling.

Domaines: Biologie moléculaire; Neurobiologie; Immunité innée; Immunité adaptative

Anne Roumier, Catherine Béchade, Luc Maroteaux. Serotonin and the Immune System. Paul M Pilowsky. Serotonin. The Mediator That Spans Evolution, Elsevier, pp.181-196, 2019, 978-0-12-800050-2. ⟨10.1016/B978-0-12-800050-2.00010-3⟩. ⟨hal-03217301⟩