Study Reveals Daylight Enhances Immune Function
(MENAFN) New research from the University of Auckland suggests that the human immune system operates more effectively during daylight hours, thanks to an inherent cellular clock that is responsive to light.
A press release from the university on Saturday indicated that the study identified neutrophils, the most prevalent type of white blood cells, as being regulated by an internal circadian clock. This clock, the research revealed, enhances their capacity to combat infections during the day.
University of Auckland Associate Professor Christopher Hall, who headed the study, stated that neutrophils serve as the immune system's initial responders and become more effective during the daytime.
Hall suggested an evolutionary reason for this phenomenon, stating, "We think this represents an evolutionary response such that during daylight hours the host is more active, so more likely to encounter bacterial infections."
The research team utilized zebrafish, a small freshwater fish, as a model organism due to their genetic resemblance to humans and their transparent bodies, which allowed for real-time observation of immune cell behavior.
The findings, published in Science Immunology, expand upon previous evidence linking disruptions to circadian rhythms, such as those experienced by shift workers or due to jet lag. By pinpointing the clock mechanism within neutrophils, the study clarifies how the immune system synchronizes with the daily light-dark cycle.
Hall noted the wide-ranging implications of their discovery, particularly for therapeutic applications in numerous inflammatory diseases. "Given that neutrophils are the first immune cells to be recruited to sites of inflammation, our discovery has very broad implications for therapeutic benefit in many inflammatory diseases," he said, adding that it could lead to therapies that improve immune function by targeting the circadian clock in neutrophils to enhance their ability to fight infections.
Researchers are currently conducting further studies to investigate how light signals influence these immune cell clocks at a molecular level.
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