Is it possible to reset our biological clocks?

Photo: Woman with a clock in her hand




This study included 16 healthy volunteers who were studied in temporal isolation chambers. These results show, for the first time, that the peripheral biological clocks located in white blood cells can be synchronized through the administration of glucocorticoid tablets.





"We studied the rhythmic expression of clock genes in white blood cells to see how they adjusted in response to glucocorticoids. These cells are involved in our body's reaction to attacks from many pathogens. This study therefore suggests that biological rhythms may play a role in controlling immune function in night-shift workers," added Cuesta, a postdoctoral fellow who works in the laboratories of Boivin and Cermakian.

The previous work of Boivin and her team showed that exposing workers to bright light at night tor adjusting work schedules can improve the synchronization of the central biological clock to their atypical work schedule. This new scientific discovery opens the door to innovative therapies that could act on the different parts of the circadian system so that these rhythms can be adjusted to inverted sleep schedules. These studies have possible applications for travelers, night-shift workers, patients suffering from sleep disorders and circadian rhythm disorders, as well as people with various psychiatric disorders.

"At this stage, we are not recommending the use of glucocorticoids to adjust the rhythms of night-shift workers, as there could be medical risks," explained Boivin. "However, these results lead us to believe that we may one day be able to use a combined therapy that targets the central clock (inverting work schedules, administering controlled light therapy) with a pharmacological treatment that targets the peripheral clocks to ensure that all clocks are adjusted."; Source: Douglas Mental Health University Institute