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Updated: Sep 3, 2025

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
An Overview of the Circadian Clock in the Frame of Chronotherapy: From Bench to Bedside
Alan Vandenberghe1, Marc Lefranc1, Alessandro Furlan1,2,3
1Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8523-PhLAM-Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules, F-59000 Lille, France.
Abstract:
Most living organisms in both the plant and animal kingdoms have evolved processes to stay in tune with the alternation of day and night, and to optimize their physiology as a function of light supply. In mammals, a circadian clock relying on feedback loops between key transcription factors will thus control the temporally regulated pattern of expression of most genes. Modern ways of life have highly altered the synchronization of human activities with their circadian clocks. This review discusses the links between an altered circadian clock and the rise of pathologies. We then sum up the proofs of concept advocating for the integration of circadian clock considerations in chronotherapy for health care, medicine, and pharmacotherapy. Finally, we discuss the current challenges that circadian biology must face and the tools to address them.
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