What happens if your body clock is not normal? Circadian rhythm disturbances have been linked to cancer

Scientists have discovered an important molecular link
between lung tumor growth and circadian rhythm disturbances.
The findings are published in a new paper led by Wilmot Cancer Institute researchers and the Scripps Research Institute in
California.

The circadian rhythm, sometimes referred to as the "biological clock," is a cellular process
that controls the sleep-wake cycle.
Jet lag, nighttime snacking, lack of sleep, or irregular working hours can disrupt circadian rhythms
.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), circadian rhythm disturbances may be a carcinogen
due to the results of demographic and laboratory studies.

New research, published in the high-impact journal Science Advances, says a cancer-marking gene called HSF1 can trigger lung tumors
when the circadian clock goes off track.
The lungs are tightly controlled by circadian rhythms and appear to be particularly vulnerable to circadian clock
disturbances.

The research paper describes the role of
HSF1 signaling in a mouse model.
This previously unknown mechanism may explain tumor formation
caused by rhythm disruption.

The findings also suggest that it is possible to target HSF1 with drug therapy to prevent cancer
in people with frequent circadian rhythm disturbances.
Although the study was conducted in mice, other data link circadian rhythm disturbances to human tumors, said co-author Brian Altman, Ph.
D.
, an assistant professor of biomedical genetics at the University of Rochester Medical Center and a faculty member
at Wilmot University.

"Everything points in the same direction," he said
.
In this case, he notes, for example, when the mice's biological clock was disrupted by inconsistent sleep, the results were highly correlated
with people working night shifts or rotating jobs.

Altman's main contribution to this research is to provide expertise
in the scientific method of evaluating the behavior of the circadian clock in tissues.
The Scripps team contacted Altman after seeing a demonstration at a scientific conference about the use of the technology, hoping to collaborate
with him.
The technology was invented in 2018 by Dr.
Jacob Hughey at Vanderbilt University
.
Altman and his lab have focused on circadian rhythms and their link
to cancer for years.
The lead author of the study is Katja Lamia
, associate professor of molecular medicine at Scripps.

Reference: Circadian disruption enhances HSF1 signaling and tumorigenesis in Kras-driven lung cancer