Research since its discovery has implicated serotonin with mood regulation, appetite, sexual drive, and sleep as well as gastrointestinal roles.
[1] In 1946, Maurice Rapport began working in the Cleveland Clinic Foundation which was directed by Irvine H. Page.
The substance was acquired by leaving a test tube of the reagents in a cold room while Rapport went on vacation.
[1] In 1948, Rapport left the Cleveland Clinic for a position at Columbia University and continued searching for serotonin's structure.
Enteramine had a substantial place in scientific literature due to Erspamer's research into its role in smooth muscle constriction and intestinal tracts.
[2] Further research illustrated how serotonin plays a major role in the central nervous system and digestive tract.
The understanding of serotonin has led to a progression in our view of mental illness and allowed the development of antidepressants and other drugs for hypertension and migraines.
These findings were useful to further pharmacological studies relating these substances to demyelinating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).