Inflammatory arthritis can be regulated by our biological clock: Study

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: As per a recent study, it has been found that our biological clock is capable of regulating inflammatory arthritis.

Researchers have found that a protein created by the body's “biological clock” can regulate the disease which explains why the human body is often found to be stiff in the morning.

The findings showed that the protein, called CRYPTOCHROME, represses inflammatory pathways within the affected limbs during nighttime sleep, making inflammation symptoms, such as stiffness, seem worse when this effect wears off as one wakes up.

Disruption of the circadian clock has been an aggravating factor associated with a range of human inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, said the paper.

"By understanding how the biological clock regulates inflammation, we can begin to develop new treatments, which might exploit this knowledge," said Julie Gibbs, Lecturer at the University of Manchester, in Britain.

"Furthermore, by adapting the time of day at which current drug therapies are administered, we may be able to make them more effective," Gibbs added.

(With IANS inputs)