A group of biologists from the University of California was able to identify the chemical in the human body that affects the activity of key proteins regulating circadian rhythms and metabolism.
Scientists have long believed that diseases such as obesity and diabetes may be associated with the failure of the human’s internal biological clock. And they even identified a protein (cryptochrome), which not only affects the process of glucose production in the liver, but also participates in the regulation of metabolic processes. Now the U.S. researchers have found a small molecule in the human body, which bulks the production of glucose in the liver and thus indirectly affects biological rhythms and metabolism. The discovery became a real breakthrough, according to the report published in the Science journal.
It is assumed that the data will help to develop new and promising drugs for serious diseases such as diabetes type II. The basis of therapeutic strategies is changes in the level of cryptochrome in the body.
