Research has for the first time identified circadian rhythms in red blood cells. This is significant because circadian rhythms have previously been assumed to be controlled by gene activity; however this clearly is not the whole story as, unlike most of the other cells in the body, red blood cells do not contain DNA.
This research, published in Nature, could provide important insights into health problems associated with disrupting normal circadian rhythms. Dr Reddy, the lead author, comments "The implications of this for health are manifold. We already know that disrupted clocks - for example, caused by shift-work and jet-lag - are associated with metabolic disorders such as diabetes. By furthering our knowledge of how the 24-hour clock in cells works, we hope that the links to these disorders - and others - will be made clearer. This will, in the longer term, lead to new therapies that we couldn't even have thought about a couple of years ago."
