Psychoneuroimmunology as the Knowledge to Realize the Unity of the Medical Sciences: New Pathogenetic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies

The discovery of the biological functions of anatomic structures, which were unknown until some years ago, including the pineal gland, the endocannabinoid system, and the ACE2-angiotensinAngiotensin (Ang 1-7) axis, have allowed a profound revolution in the interpretation of human body itself, and consequently of the pathogenetic mechanisms of its diseases, because of their fundamental anti-inflammatory, anti-tumoral, anti-thrombotic, anti-fibrotic, immunostimulating, and cardio-neuroprotective effects. Then, the old vision of human body as a machine with automatic dynamics does not correspond to the real human body, which in contrast is characterized by the existence of three main bio-regenerative systems, represented by the pineal hormones, the endocannabinoids, and Ang 1-7, connected by reciprocal stimulatory actions. Most human systemic diseases have appeared to be associated with profound functional alterations of the pineal, endocannabinoid system, and ACE2-Ang 1-7 axis, which could be at least in part responsible for the pathogenesis of systemic diseases themselves. Therefore, since the cytokine network is physiologically under a neuroendocrine control, systemic disease-related immune alterations would be due at least in part on altered neuroendocrine regulation of the immune system. Then, the correction of systemic disease-related neuroendocrine alterations involving the pineal, the endocannabinoid system, and Ang 1-7 secretion could allow a control of the systemic diseases, including cancer and autoimmuneAutoimmune pathologies. From a clinical point of view, the neuroimmune regimen with the pineal melatoninMelatonin, cannabinoidsCannabinoids, and Ang 1-7 may represent an effective physiological non-toxic therapy, able to positively modulate the immune system in both neoplastic and autoimmune diseases.