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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
Clock genes: influencing and being influenced by psychoactive drugs
1Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Hmanev@psych.uic.edu
Abstract:
Although clock genes are the hallmark of circadian rhythms, they are also currently considered as transcription factors that have a prominent role in the pharmacology of the CNS. The expression of these transcription factors in the mammalian brain is not only intrinsically rhythmic but is also modulated by external inputs and hormones. An altered expression of clock genes, as evidenced in transgenic mice, has a profound influence on the behavioral effects of psychoactive drugs. Focusing on clock genes expressed in the brain might lead to the discovery of novel drug-target pathways.
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