Does our body clock hold the key to developing new treatments?

Most of us will have felt the temporary effects of a disrupted body clock, whether it’s caused by a long flight, a changing shift pattern or even just a few late nights. Butscientists all over the world now recognise the importance of our biological clocks to lifelong health and well-being.In 2014 Arthritis Research UK invested more than a million pounds into two five-year studies at the University of Manchester investigating how disruption to our daily circadian rhythms is linked to osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis. In this edition we’re reporting on how this exciting new research is building our understanding of the role the body clock plays in arthritis and how this knowledge is being used to develop new and more effective treatments.What's the body clock? The body clock is an innate daily timing device, found in most living things. A biological clock ticks in almost every cell in the human body, driving circadian rhythms.Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioural changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. They're controlled primarily by light and darkness in the environment.Circadian rhythms influence how our bodies work, from when we go to sleep and wake up to when hormones are released, from our eating habits and digestion to our body temperature. A fast- or slow-running body clock can disrupt circadian rhythms, having a negative impact on our health and well-being.The body clock, ageing and osteoarthritisResearch led by Qing-Jun Meng, Pr...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news