Hardly the “happiness hormone”, right? I am posting this just as a placeholder since the article is from the popular press, but it does have an interesting reference to a study that 5-HT has a direct genomic effect by silencing/activating genes. Some of the genes 5-HT activates are already well-known “oncogenes” – i.e. they help drive certain cancers, such as brain, liver and pancreatic ones. I would go a step further and state that given 5-HT’s effects as a potent metabolic inhibitor and reductant, that amine probably plays a direct causal role in all cancers.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1024-7
https://www.sciencealert.com/serotonin-could-play-an-unexpected-role-in-cancer-scientists-discover
“…In 2019, scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York discovered that serotonin can enter cells and interact directly with DNA. They found that it binds to molecular “switches” that control whether genes are active or inactive – and this binding can turn specific genes on. Studies since then have shown that serotonin can switch on genes involved in cancer growth. This mechanism has been seen in brain, liver, and pancreatic cancers – and it may play a role in many other types of cancer. My colleagues and I at the University of Limerick in Ireland are currently investigating the interaction between serotonin and DNA to better understand how it influences cancer. Identifying the specific sites where serotonin binds to cancer-related genes could support the development of targeted “epigenetic” therapies – treatments that control which genes are switched on or off.”
