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Updated: Sep 10, 2025
10:16
Human Circadian Phenotyping and Diurnal Performance Testing in the Real World
Published on: April 7, 2020
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Association between dim light melatonin onset predicted from gene expression profiles with sleep time and chronotype
Susan Kohl Malone1, Freda Patterson2, Jinyu Hu1
1Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York, USA.
Chronobiology International
|August 22, 2025
Summary
Gene expression from blood samples can predict circadian time, aiding chronotherapy. This tool helps optimize treatment timing for better efficacy and fewer side effects in adults with short sleep.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Molecular Biology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Chronotherapy optimizes treatment timing for improved efficacy and reduced side effects.
- Widespread adoption of chronotherapy is limited by the lack of accessible tools to determine circadian time.
- Gene expression profiles show potential for predicting circadian time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between circadian phase predictions from a single blood sample, actigraphy-estimated sleep, and chronotype.
- To evaluate the utility of peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression for estimating circadian phase in a real-world setting.
Main Methods:
- Twelve adults with short sleep and at risk for metabolic syndrome participated.
- RNA sequencing was performed on CD14+ monocytes isolated from blood samples.
- Sleep was monitored using ActiGraph, and chronotype was assessed with the Composite Scale of Morningness.
Main Results:
- Moderate-to-strong associations were found between gene expression-based predicted dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) and actigraphy-estimated sleep.
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression profiles demonstrated utility in estimating circadian phase.
Conclusions:
- Gene expression profiling from a single blood sample shows promise for estimating circadian phase.
- This approach may improve chronotherapy implementation in middle-aged adults with chronic health conditions and short sleep.
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