Circadian Clock Disruption Might Lead to Colo-rectal Cancer - Study Suggests

Numerous physiological processes are controlled by the circadian clock – an internal biological pacemaker. 

What is a Circadian Clock?

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The circadian cycle also referred to as the circadian rhythm is a physiological cycle that regulates the sleep-wake patterns of a living organism.  The circadian clock regulates in a period of roughly every 24 hours.

It can also refer to any process that is endogenous, or occurs inside an organism and responds to its environment in a cyclic manner. The circadian clock is extensively studied in cyanobacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. 

The word Circadian comes from Latin circa meaning “around,” and dies, which means “Day”.

How Circadian Clock affects Cell Metabolism and Tumor Progression?

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine outlined how the circadian clock affects cell growth, metabolism, and tumor progression in a recent study. Additionally, their work also suggested how the circadian clock is affected by mutations that can further fuel tumor-promoting pathways in the intestine. 

The study, titled, “Disruption of the Circadian Clock drives APC Loss of Heterozygosity to Accelerate Colorectal Cancer, “was published on August 10, 2022, in Science Advances. 

Major Findings

Researchers discovered that the mutation of the Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) tumor suppressor, which is present in the vast majority of human colorectal malignancies, is caused by both genetic disturbance and environmental disruption of the circadian clock (CRC). 

Roughly 80% of human CRC cases have been found to have APC point mutations, deletions, and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) events, and it is these mutations that cause the onset of intestinal adenoma formation. 

According to Selma Masri, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological chemistry at UCI School of Medicine, “as a society, we are exposed to several environmental factors that influence our biological clock, including night shift work, extended light exposure, changes in sleep/wake cycles, and altered feeding Behavior.”  

She further added the underlying reason for this increase in cancer cases among adults in their 20s and 30s is still unclear. However, in light of these discoveries, it can be presumed that the disruption of the circadian clock is significant.

The principal focus of research in the Masri Lab is how the circadian clock is disturbed during the onset and growth of specific cancer types. To learn how the circadian clock affects various cancer types, researchers at the Masri Lab are currently conducting additional research.

Publication and Journal Details

Publication Title: Disruption of the circadian clock drives Apc loss of heterozygosity to accelerate colorectal cancer

Publication Date: August 10, 2022

Journal Name: Science Advances

Journal Impact Factor: 14.14 (2021)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo2389

Link to Article Source

Citation(s)

APA	MLA	Chicago
Chun, S. K., Fortin, B. M., Fellows, R. C., Habowski, A. N., Verlande, A., Song, W. A., … & Masri, S. (2022). Disruption of the circadian clock drives Apc loss of heterozygosity to accelerate colorectal cancer. Science Advances, 8(31), eabo2389.	Chun, Sung Kook, et al. “Disruption of the circadian clock drives Apc loss of heterozygosity to accelerate colorectal cancer.” Science Advances 8.31 (2022): eabo2389.	Chun, Sung Kook, Bridget M. Fortin, Rachel C. Fellows, Amber N. Habowski, Amandine Verlande, Wei A. Song, Alisa L. Mahieu et al. “Disruption of the circadian clock drives Apc loss of heterozygosity to accelerate colorectal cancer.” Science Advances 8, no. 31 (2022): eabo2389.