According to a new study, our genes that set our body’s internal clock are linked to certain immune cells. This could explain why jet lag, shift work or staying up late on your tablet or smartphone may make you sick. Our body’s clock is set for two 12-hour periods of light and darkness, when the rhythm is thrown off, so is our immune system.
Although the finding was an accident, it makes it no less remarkable for the research team at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. The researchers were studying NFIL3, protein that guides the development of certain immune cells and turns on others. In doing so, the team turned it’s focus on TH17 cells, a type of immune cell known as a T cell, which tells other T cells to increase the immune response. Having too many TH17 cells, works against the body as the immune system begins to cause illness instead of prevent it.
Once the researchers realized that some of the proteins produced by the body’s “clock genes” attach to the NFIL3 genes, they were about to strongly suspect that the binding keeps the production of TH17 cells synchronized with periods of light and darkness.
Mice were used to further confirm the theory by using them to simulate jet lag. The team shift the mice’s light/dark cycles by 6 hours every 4 days. It would the equivalent of flying from the U.S. to Europe, India, and Japan and spending 4 days in each country. The jet lagged mice had nearly twice as many TH17 cells in their spleens and intestines, compared to the mice having a normal day.
The study is considered the tip of iceberg in deepening the relationship between immune cells and our body’s internal clock. Always strive to keep your sleep patterns in sync with natural do decrease your chances of getting sick. If you are experiencing jet lag, try a small dose of melatonin, a natural sleep aid to help your body get back in sync with producing it on its own.
No comments yet.