Researchers discovered that serotonin is passed between key cells in the immune system, and that the chemical is specifically used to activate an immune response.
Scientists admit they have a lot to learn and are unsure, whether these SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) drugs "including the brands Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and others" could have either a beneficial or a damaging effect on human immunity.
Gerard Ahern, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pharmacology at Georgetown and lead researcher on the study, says, "The wider health implication is that commonly used SSRI antidepressants, which target the uptake of serotonin into neurons, may also impact the uptake in immune cells."
Ahern says, "At this point we just don't know how these drugs might affect immunity, so we really need to clarify the normal role of serotonin in immune cell functioning."
He believes while it may be possible that SSRI drugs may restore a healthy immune function in people who are depressed and suffer from reoccurring infections, it is also likely that they might also boost immunity to the point that they trigger autoimmune disease.
