Melatonin aids in treating blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, reveals a new study.

Melatonin is a hormone made by a small gland called pineal gland in the brain.

They point to evidence that melatonin boosts the immune response against cancer cells, inhibits cancer cell growth, and protects healthy cells from the toxic effects of chemotherapy.

‘Melatonin boosts the immune response against cancer cells and can regulate circadian rhythms.’

Because melatonin is also involved in regulating circadian rhythms, which help coordinate and synchronize internal body functions, timing of melatonin treatments may be critical to their anticancer effects.

“We hope this information will be helpful in the design of studies related to the therapeutic efficacy of melatonin in blood cancers,” said Dr. Yang Yang, senior author of the British Journal of Pharmacology article.

“Also, clarifying the mechanisms of melatonin’s anticancer actions will help facilitate future basic research and clinical applications.”

Source: Eurekalert