This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Adjusting to a new time zone or work schedule can leave the body's internal clock out of sync for days, contributing to sleep disruption, metabolic changes and other health consequences. Researchers at Rice University and Northwestern University have developed an implantable cell therapy that may help the body adapt more quickly to these disruptions.
In a recent study titled "Encapsulated Leptin-Producing Cells Facilitate Entrainment of Circadian Rhythms in Rodents and Nonhuman Primates," encapsulated cells engineered to continuously produce the metabolic hormone leptin reduced the time required for animals to adjust to shifts in the light-dark cycle that mimic jet lag and shift work. Published in Advanced Science, the study's findings demonstrate a new approach to regulating circadian rhythms through metabolic signaling and provide early evidence that engineered cell therapies could be used to address circadian disruption. "Current approaches for adjusting circadian rhythms rely heavily on precisely timed behaviors such as light exposure, meal schedules or melatonin administration," said Omid Veiseh, professor of bioengineering at Rice.
"We wanted to explore whether a temporary cell therapy could provide a more practical way to help the body adapt to changing schedules." The therapy consists of human retinal pigment epithelial cells engineered to produce leptin, a hormone best known for regulating appetite and metabolism. The cells are encapsulated within microscopic alginate spheres that protect them from the immune system while allowing therapeutic proteins to diffuse into the body. Following a simple subcutaneous injection, the encapsulated cells temporarily elevate circulating leptin levels before naturally losing viability over time.
"Metabolism and circadian rhythms are closely connected, but the therapeutic potential of that relationship remains largely unexplored," said Martha Hotz Vitaterna, professor of neurobiology at Northwestern University and co-corresponding author on the study. "These findings suggest that metabolic signals can be leveraged to accelerate adaptation to circadian disruptions." In mouse studies, animals receiving the leptin-producing cell therapy adjusted significantly faster following both phase advances and phase delays in the light-dark cycle. Mice treated with the therapy adapted to a four-hour schedule delay 50% faster than control animals.
To evaluate the translational potential of the approach, the researchers tested the therapy in cynomolgus macaques, whose sleep-wake patterns more closely resemble those of humans. The treatment was well tolerated and reduced entrainment time following six-hour schedule shifts by approximately one day compared with controls. "The fact that we observed similar effects in both rodents and nonhuman primates suggests that the underlying biology may be conserved across species," said Fred Turek, director of Northwestern's Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology and a senior author on the study.
Researchers monitored multiple physiological indicators of circadian alignment, including activity, heart rate and core body temperature. Across these measures, animals receiving the leptin-producing implants adapted more rapidly to the new schedules than untreated controls. Importantly, the therapy did not negatively affect sleep.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
