title: Immunomodulatory effects of fluoxetine: A new potential pharmacological action for a classic antidepressant drug?
abstract: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are frequently used antidepressants. In particular, fluoxetine is usually chosen for the treatment of the symptoms of depression, obsessive-compulsive, panic attack and bulimia nervosa. Antidepressant therapy has been associated with immune dysfunction. However, there is contradictory evidence about the effect of fluoxetine on the immune system. Experimental findings indicate that lymphocytes express the serotonin transporter. Moreover it has been shown that fluoxetine is able to modulate the immune function through a serotonin-dependent pathway and through a novel independent mechanism. In addition, several studies have shown that fluoxetine can alter tumor cell viability. Thus, it was recently demonstrated in vivo that chronic fluoxetine treatment inhibits tumor growth by increasing antitumor T-cell activity. Here we briefly review some of the literature referring to how fluoxetine is able to modify, for better or worse, the functionality of the immune system. These results of our analysis point to the relevance of the novel pharmacological action of this drug as an immunomodulator helping to treat several pathologies in which immune deficiency and/or deregulation is present.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (BIOMED), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA), Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 1600, Piso 3, 1107 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Emilia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Di Rosso
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIT NOBA), CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNNOBA), Monteagudo 2772, Pergamino, 2700 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Laura
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (BIOMED), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA), Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 1600, Piso 3, 1107 Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Paraguay 2155, Piso 15, 1121 Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: amgenaro@yahoo.com.ar.
authors.forename: Ana María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Genaro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D005473:Fluoxetine; D012701:Serotonin
keywords: Antidepressant; Fluoxetine; Immune system; Immunomodulation; Serotonin