Free Republic

Scientists have discovered that the circadian clock regulates axonal regeneration and repair. The authors found that DRG sensory neurons have an endogenous molecular clock that optimizes axonal regeneration in a mouse model of sciatic nerve injury. The researchers also demonstrated that axonal regeneration can be promoted using chrono-active drugs, such as lithium, which is currently used in clinics for treating neurological disorders. These findings pave the way for the use of clock-associated therapies and timed neurorehabilitation for people with Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) injuries. Dr. Francesco De Virgiliis said, "Our study shows that the circadian clock regulates axonal regeneration, and...

Short sleep lengths, daytime napping and even long sleep lengths have been linked to an increased risk of elevated blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, a new study has found. Using data from the UK Biobank, the study is the first study to demonstrate that independent of other factors, circadian rhythm-disrupting behaviors, including shift work, have an adverse effect on blood pressure regulation. "We found that compromised sleep health or nightshift work are associated with elevated blood pressure in both males and females and across all age groups," Professor Morag Young said. "What we've found is that having circadian rhythms out...

The glymphatic system is the brain's self-cleaning mechanism. It wasn't discovered until 2012. The glymphatic system is tied to the circadian system and sleep architecture, and both are implicated in the pathophysiology of concussions. I'll explain the glymphatic system's nature, how its dysfunction contributes to concussion pathology, and the crucial role of circadian therapy in mitigating this impact. The glymphatic system was nicknamed "the garbage truck of the brain" by its discoverer. Its fundamental role is to remove waste products from the brain. Approximately 80–90% of glymphatic clearance occurs during "deep sleep." As sleep transitions from deep sleep into the...

When bedtime comes, as all children and sick people know, the boogeymen come out of the closet. Darkness, silence and isolation can turn chairs into tigers, and make even trivial health problems seem ominous and hopeless. But illness that goes bump in the night may not be just a patient's inner child coming out. Doctors have sensed for centuries that many diseases actually do get worse at night, and science has begun to confirm this impression. The emotions nighttime elicits, although they certainly do not help matters, are not primarily to blame. Instead, it is the body's internal chemicals and...

Our internal 24-hour circadian clock regulates many aspects of physiology, including the response to infectious disease and vaccination. A new study demonstrates that antibody levels are higher when people receive the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in the afternoon versus the morning. "Our observational study provides proof of concept that time of day affects immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, findings that may be relevant for optimizing the vaccine's efficacy," said author Elizabeth Klerman, MD, Ph.D. Symptoms of some diseases and the action of numerous medications vary by time of day. People with lung diseases frequently have greater symptom severity and altered respiratory function...

Thousand of epigenetic switches in the liver control whether genes turn on or off in response to circadian cycles. The figure illustrates daily changes, every six hours, in five different...When it's dark, and we start to fall asleep, most of us think we're tired because our bodies need rest. Yet circadian rhythms affect our bodies not just on a global scale, but at the level of individual organs, and even genes. Now, scientists at the Salk Institute have determined the specific genetic switches that sync liver activity to the circadian cycle. Their finding gives further insight into the mechanisms behind...