ArticleAnti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry2026
Serotonin Metabolism Shapes the Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Serves as a Therapeutic Target in Lung Cancer.
Article in Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Role of the neurotransmitter-receptor pathway in T-cell tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy.Acta biochimica et biophysica Sinica · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionLung cancer progression involves complex interactions between metabolic pathways and the immune microenvironment. The role of serotonin, a tryptophan-derived metabolite, in immune responses to lung tumors remains unclear.
methodsAn orthotopic lung cancer model was established by intravenously injecting KP (KrasG12D/p53-/-) cells into C57BL/6 mice. Metabolomic and flux analyses were conducted on tumor versus normal lung tissues. Serotonin was administered to tumor-bearing mice, followed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry to assess immune responses. Human lung cancer datasets were analyzed to validate clinical relevance.
resultsTumor tissues exhibited a significant decrease in serotonin levels. Although tryptophan, serotonin, and kynurenine levels were decreased overall, flux analysis revealed a metabolic shift favoring kynurenine synthesis, with a ~10-fold increase in the kynurenine-to-serotonin ratio. Serotonin supplementation significantly prolonged survival and enhanced dendritic cell and CD8⁺ T cell infiltration and activation in tumors. Analysis of public datasets showed that serotonin expression positively correlated with CD8⁺ T cell activation signatures and patient prognosis. DISCUSSION: By revealing serotonin as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target, this study paves new avenues for improving lung cancer treatment strategies through modulation of the immune microenvironment. Moreover, the precise receptor-mediated mechanisms underlying serotonin's immunomodulatory effects remain to be clarified, and translational validation in human tissues is warranted to strengthen clinical relevance.
conclusionSerotonin deficiency in the tumor microenvironment of the lung suppresses antitumor immunity. Its restoration reverses immune dysfunction and limits tumor progression. These findings identify serotonin as a potential metabolic regulator and immunotherapeutic target in lung cancer.
Indexed as
Identifiers
40798955What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.