Serotonin Robbers (Cont. #3)
3. Portrait of the Robbers
This article is part of a series:
- 1. Sparkless Days
- 2. Tryptophan Deprivation
- 3. Portrait of the Robbers
- 4. Manufacturing the “Magic Powder”
Portrait of the Robbers
In the search of the serotonin robbers, we know that something causes our bodies to develop fever, in response to attacks on its organs by viruses or bacteria. This “something” is anti-inflammatory cytokines — which are small proteins produced by our immune system. If you think of the immune system as an army, these proteins would be analogous to radio communications, acting as messengers between cells or platoons. The information transmitted communicates the next chain of action. Since their discovery in the eighties, studies have revealed that these agents are essential factors in nearly all aspects of medicine. Some are good and others bad cytokines, and they are crucial targets for emerging medical treatments. Therapeutic agents are devised to either enhance or block them. Cont. reading
