Biological clock cue on the skin

2008/05/11 Lakar Iraizoz, Oihane - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Genetika
• Anatomia/Fisiologia

Seeing that skin cells are a good representative of people's behavior, researchers believe it will be possible to develop an objective test to know each person's cycle.

In humans, these cycles are controlled by a brain cell set (called supraquiasmatic nucleus). It is the main watch of the body. Recently, in addition, German and Swiss scientists have discovered that all body cells have a clock totally dependent on the main one.

Thanks to this discovery, they hope to invent ways to know and better investigate sleep problems and other rhythms. In short, they have found a much simpler and cheaper way to analyze the biological clock that so influences the behavior of people. At present it is necessary to study this nucleus that is inside the brain (hypothalamus), for which people must remain in the laboratory for three days. From now on, it will be enough for the cells that take as a sample to study the genes responsible for it.

Biological clock search in cells

In general, two types of people are distinguished according to the biological clock: the early and the nocturnal. Early people and kangaroos do not stay active on the same day dates and do not benefit from the same hours of the day. In addition, some medications, such as anti-cholesterol or chemotherapy, are more effective at certain times of this daily cycle. Therefore, preterm and disease should not take these medications at the same time of day.

Some medications, such as anti-cholesterol or chemotherapy, are more effective at certain times of the daily cycle.

To look for the biological clock outside the brain, the first job was to gather extremely early and highly quoted people.Ads were posted on television and newspapers and 28 people were obtained. Two skin samples were taken from each of them, which were raised in a laboratory. The genes that regulate the biological clock were added a gene that gives light to the fireflies (luciferin), and they managed that when the genes were expressed the cells were illuminated and that when the genes were turned off the cells also appeared off. That is, thanks to the gene that was added to them, the cells were lit and shut down not only by the biological clock, but also by the biological clock.

By comparing the cells of preterm people and diseases, they observed that the cells of the cotyl people spent more time illuminated than the cells of preterm. This means that the cycles of the early people are shorter.

Early people and kangaroos do not stay active on the same day dates and do not benefit from the same hours of the day. (Photo: Jusben-Morguefile )

The greatest discovery of the scientists was to verify that the clocks of cells cultivated in cultures had not lost the rhythm, that is, they followed the rhythm of their people. Furthermore, when analyzing how cells react to time changes, they observed that the reaction of the cells of cultures was in line with the reaction of their owners. The cells were subjected to a cycle change through drugs and temperature changes, asking people what reaction they have when they go to a country outside their time zone.

Therefore, researchers consider that skin cells are a good representative of the behavior of people and that it will be possible to develop an objective test to know the cycle of each person. It would not be a slow achievement, since it would speed up a lot and cover much the work that is done in this field.

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