Biological clock function linked to obesity and diabetes

A new international research project has uncovered a link between mammalian biological clocks and the conditions which lead to the onset of diabetes and obesity.

The joint University of California, San Diego and Salk Institute team has found that cryptochrome, a specific biological clock protein, exerts a previously undocumented influence on glucose production in the liver, following experiments with rodents.

According to the research, changes to the levels of this protein will cause blood glucose levels to be affected, thereby influencing how susceptible subjects are to conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

It is thought this discovery could provide a new approach for the treatment of these illnesses, as well as suggesting disruptions to body clocks among shift workers in developed nations could be posing a diabetes risk.

Steve Kay, dean of the division of biological sciences at University of California, San Diego, added: "There's a wide role that the biological clock may be playing in influencing other hormones, not just glucagon, that are important for metabolism."

This comes after the University of Warwick published research earlier this month demonstrating a link between irregular sleeping patterns and diabetes.