Molecular Cooperation to Reinforce Immune Response during Carcinoma: a Structural Bioinformatics Analysis

In the last decades evidence has been found of nervous system–immune system interactions that exists at several biological levels. Many substances seem to be involved in this process, among the others cytokines and melatonin, although no scientific evidence has been fully established. In this study we hypothesize that the efficacy of the neuroendocrine-immune systems interaction may be studied at a membrane receptor level, and could be highlighted by a structural bioinformatics research. In this paper we built a model of the interaction between a lipid membrane with typical gastrointestinal cancer traits, and several substances that are supposed to be involved in the immune response. A computational docking analysis shows that the interaction between melatonin as a neuroendocrine agent, immune substances and mediators of the inflammatory response may have a role in the complex relationship between nervous system and immune system.