Melatonin explains the mystery of seasonal multiple sclerosis flare-ups

Seasonal flare-ups in patients with multiple sclerosis are caused by plummeting levels of melatonin in the spring and summer, according to research published September 10 in Cell. The study reveals that relapses in patients with this autoimmune disorder are much less frequent in the fall and winter, when levels of the so-called darkness hormone are at their highest, but the reverse is true in the spring and summer seasons.

Moreover, treatment with melatonin improved clinical symptoms in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis by restoring a healthy balance of immune cells called T lymphocytes. The findings, which resulted from a collaboration between American and Argentinian scientists, could potentially lead to the development of novel treatments for a broad range of autoimmune disorders.

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