Antidepressants Promote and Prevent Cancers

Abstract

The review states that antidepressants (ADs) increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transmission concomitantly in the brain and the blood: ADs increasing BDNF synthesis in specific areas of the central nervous system (CNS) could presumably affect megakaryocyte's production of platelets. ADs increase BDNF levels in the CNS and improve mood. In the blood, ADs increase BDNF release from platelets. The hypothesis presented here is that the release of BDNF from platelets contributes to the ADs effects on neurogenesis and on tumor growth in the cancer disease. Oncological studies indicate that chemicals ADs exert an aggravating effect on the cancer disease, possibly by promoting proplatelets formation and enhancing BDNF release from platelets in the tumor.

Keywords:

• Antidepressant
• brain-derived neurotrophic factor
• cancer
• megakaryocyte
• platelet

Acknowledgments

The authors thank G. Fillion for his helpful comments on the manuscript.

The article is dedicated to the memory of E. Holtzer.

Disclosure statement

The research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale) and Université Paris Descartes.