Melatonin inhibits mast cell activation, indicating its potential as a therapeutic agent in inflammatory diseases

Mast cells are specialized immune cells known for their distinctive staining properties and large cytoplasmic granules housing multiple mediators such as histamines, proteoglycans, serine proteases, and cytokines1. These granular contents make mast cells integral players of the immune system and critical to the process of inflammation. Moreover, the pathologic activation of mast cells has increasingly been recognized for their contribution in mast cell-dependent and -associated diseases such as allergic diseases, chronic urticaria and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) 2. Therefore, there is a need for rigorous research to find therapeutic strategies to inhibit the activation of mast cell.