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Updated: Sep 15, 2025

The Use of Mouse Splenocytes to Assess Pathogen-associated Molecular Pattern Influence on Clock Gene Expression
Published on: July 24, 2018
Development of a circadian immune system
Xia Li1, Paula Rothämel2, Claudia Nussbaum3
1Institute of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Abstract:
Circadian rhythms are key regulators of immune functions. These endogenous oscillations help to maintain immune homeostasis, regulate responses to pathogens, and shape vaccine efficacy. Recent studies further indicate that they are of clinical relevance for cancer immunotherapies. While circadian immune rhythms are thus recognized to be important in adults, it is unknown at what developmental stage these rhythms begin to manifest. In this opinion article we review the development of circadian rhythms in the immune system in both rodents and humans, with a focus on their interactions during the perinatal period. Understanding their emergence in early life may help guide time-based clinical interventions for infants.
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