The right timing could make cancer treatments work better
- Cancer treatments may be more effective when administered at the right time, based on an individual’s internal clock.
- The human body operates on a complex internal schedule governed by circadian rhythms, which control essential bodily functions like sleep-wake cycles and hormone production.
- Disruptions to these internal clocks can increase vulnerability to diseases, including cancer, and may be exploited for therapeutic purposes.
- Research led by Johns Hopkins University professor Chi Van Dang has revealed critical insights into cancer metabolism and the genetic changes that transform healthy cells into malignant ones.
- Federal support for research on circadian biology and its role in medicine is crucial for opening up new avenues for cancer treatment and improving outcomes for patients.
In a new Q&A, an expert explains how cancer treatments based on our internal clock could improve outcomes.
Every cell in the human body operates on an intricate internal schedule, governed by circadian rhythms that synchronize our biological processes with the 24-hour cycle of day and night. Coordinated by a master clock in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, these cellular clocks control essential bodily functions including sleep-wake cycles, hormone production, immune function, and metabolism.
When these internal clocks are disrupted, the consequences can be profound, potentially increasing our vulnerability to diseases including cancer.
Chi Van Dang, a professor of cancer medicine at Johns Hopkins University and CEO and scientific director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, is at the forefront of research exploring the connection between circadian biology and cancer: how the circadian clock affects tumor biology, and how these clocks can be exploited and even manipulated for therapeutic purposes.
Dang has dedicated his career to understanding the molecular mechanisms driving cancer development and progression. He has spent decades investigating how cancer cells hijack normal cellular processes to fuel their uncontrolled growth. With support from the National Institutes of Health, his work has revealed critical insights into cancer metabolism and the genetic changes that transform healthy cells into malignant ones.
Dang’s interest in circadian cancer biology began with a molecular discovery while studying the MYC oncogene, a cancer-driving gene that acts as a switch, altering metabolic pathways in cancer cells. Dang found that MYC proteins bind to the same DNA sequence to regulate gene expression as circadian clock proteins.
“This overlap sparked a key question for me: Could these two systems be interconnected?” Dang says. “It is incredibly fascinating to learn how many things are actually controlled by our circadian clocks, but we didn’t realize it. Everyone is talking about fighting cancer and developing new treatments, but most people typically don’t factor in our circadian rhythm. There’s so much more to be discovered.”
Dang says federal support has allowed him follow new leads in the fight against cancer.
“My NIH-funded work over the years has led to industry efforts in creating medicines targeting metabolism for the treatment of cancer,” Dang says.
“Ongoing federal research support is crucial for opening up new research avenues and hopes for new cures. Our current work on how the circadian clock and diet affect cancer immunotherapy responses should provide key insights that will improve outcomes for cancer patients.”
Here, Dang explains the connection between the body’s internal clock and cancer, why the timing of medical interventions could be as crucial as the treatment itself, and what health care providers, researchers, and the general public need to know about circadian biology’s role in medicine:
The post The right timing could make cancer treatments work better appeared first on Futurity.