Thymus-Pineal Gland Axis: Revisiting Its Role in Human Life and Ageing
For years the thymus gland (TG) and the pineal gland (PG) have been subject of increasingly in-depth studies, but only recently a link that can associate the activities of the two organs has been identified. Considering, on the one hand, the well-known immune activity of thymus and, on the other, th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/22/8806 |
| _version_ | 1797547222723723264 |
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| author | Rita Rezzani Caterina Franco Rüdiger Hardeland Luigi Fabrizio Rodella |
| author_facet | Rita Rezzani Caterina Franco Rüdiger Hardeland Luigi Fabrizio Rodella |
| author_sort | Rita Rezzani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For years the thymus gland (TG) and the pineal gland (PG) have been subject of increasingly in-depth studies, but only recently a link that can associate the activities of the two organs has been identified. Considering, on the one hand, the well-known immune activity of thymus and, on the other, the increasingly emerging immunological roles of circadian oscillators and the rhythmically secreted main pineal product, melatonin, many studies aimed to analyse the possible existence of an interaction between these two systems. Moreover, data confirmed that the immune system is functionally associated with the nervous and endocrine systems determining an integrated dynamic network. In addition, recent researches showed a similar, characteristic involution process both in TG and PG. Since the second half of the 20th century, evidence led to the definition of an effectively interacting thymus-pineal axis (TG-PG axis), but much has to be done. In this sense, the aim of this review is to summarize what is actually known about this topic, focusing on the impact of the TG-PG axis on human life and ageing. We would like to give more emphasis to the implications of this dynamical interaction in a possible therapeutic strategy for human health. Moreover, we focused on all the products of TG and PG in order to collect what is known about the role of peptides other than melatonin. The results available today are often unclear and not linear. These peptides have not been well studied and defined over the years. In this review we hope to awake the interest of the scientific community in them and in their future pharmacological applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:41:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bcb2b59ad0a34893b1b83e23bf130539 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:41:17Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-bcb2b59ad0a34893b1b83e23bf1305392023-11-20T21:47:04ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672020-11-012122880610.3390/ijms21228806Thymus-Pineal Gland Axis: Revisiting Its Role in Human Life and AgeingRita Rezzani0Caterina Franco1Rüdiger Hardeland2Luigi Fabrizio Rodella3Anatomy and Physiopathology Division, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, ItalyAnatomy and Physiopathology Division, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, ItalyJohann Friedrich Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, D-37073 Göttingen, GermanyAnatomy and Physiopathology Division, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, ItalyFor years the thymus gland (TG) and the pineal gland (PG) have been subject of increasingly in-depth studies, but only recently a link that can associate the activities of the two organs has been identified. Considering, on the one hand, the well-known immune activity of thymus and, on the other, the increasingly emerging immunological roles of circadian oscillators and the rhythmically secreted main pineal product, melatonin, many studies aimed to analyse the possible existence of an interaction between these two systems. Moreover, data confirmed that the immune system is functionally associated with the nervous and endocrine systems determining an integrated dynamic network. In addition, recent researches showed a similar, characteristic involution process both in TG and PG. Since the second half of the 20th century, evidence led to the definition of an effectively interacting thymus-pineal axis (TG-PG axis), but much has to be done. In this sense, the aim of this review is to summarize what is actually known about this topic, focusing on the impact of the TG-PG axis on human life and ageing. We would like to give more emphasis to the implications of this dynamical interaction in a possible therapeutic strategy for human health. Moreover, we focused on all the products of TG and PG in order to collect what is known about the role of peptides other than melatonin. The results available today are often unclear and not linear. These peptides have not been well studied and defined over the years. In this review we hope to awake the interest of the scientific community in them and in their future pharmacological applications.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/22/8806thymus-pineal axisthymic and pineal factorsmelatoninageingrejuvenation |
| spellingShingle | Rita Rezzani Caterina Franco Rüdiger Hardeland Luigi Fabrizio Rodella Thymus-Pineal Gland Axis: Revisiting Its Role in Human Life and Ageing International Journal of Molecular Sciences thymus-pineal axis thymic and pineal factors melatonin ageing rejuvenation |
| title | Thymus-Pineal Gland Axis: Revisiting Its Role in Human Life and Ageing |
| title_full | Thymus-Pineal Gland Axis: Revisiting Its Role in Human Life and Ageing |
| title_fullStr | Thymus-Pineal Gland Axis: Revisiting Its Role in Human Life and Ageing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thymus-Pineal Gland Axis: Revisiting Its Role in Human Life and Ageing |
| title_short | Thymus-Pineal Gland Axis: Revisiting Its Role in Human Life and Ageing |
| title_sort | thymus pineal gland axis revisiting its role in human life and ageing |
| topic | thymus-pineal axis thymic and pineal factors melatonin ageing rejuvenation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/22/8806 |
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