Clock Genes Influence Metabolism: A First Link With Glucose Production
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
It's common sense that Circadian rhythms manifest at the molecular level, given the obviously different metabolic functions while awake versus when asleep. Now, a group has shown that one of the body's "clock genes" helps regulate the production of new glucose in the liver. The findings could be applied to the discovery of novel treatments for type 2 diabetes and because the mechanism may also regulate signaling activities in other cell types, potentially alter the course of other diseases.