Treatment Drug with Chemotherapy Properties Discovered to Affect Body's Natural Day-Night Cycle

In a groundbreaking discovery, a team of researchers has uncovered potential effects of the chemotherapy drug Paclitaxel on the brain's biological clock. The findings of this study will soon be published in the journal eNeuro.

Led by first author Zoe Tapp, the research team focused on the primary biological clock in the brain and its circadian rhythm-related genes. Contrary to expectations, these genes did not fluctuate throughout the day in treated mice, suggesting that Paclitaxel may disrupt the molecular and behavioural rhythm outputs of the pacemaker brain region.

The team also investigated how different light challenges influenced biological clock-mediated behavioural adaptations. Interestingly, mice undergoing chemotherapy did not adapt as well to these challenges, further supporting the hypothesis that Paclitaxel affects the brain's circadian rhythm.

Light is known to be the most important cue for the pacemaking function of the brain region under study. However, the principal part of the circadian clock was affected by Paclitaxel treatment despite not being directly targeted. This finding, according to Tapp, is intriguing and warrants further investigation.

Pyter, speaking on potential clinical implications, suggested that linking circadian rhythm disruption to chemotherapy side effects could be an important next step. Proper circadian rhythm maintenance during chemotherapy treatment might reduce side effects, but this requires showing that circadian rhythm brain pathways are indeed affected by chemotherapy.

For those interested in learning more about this research, the original study can be found on our website. This study sheds light on a previously unexplored area of chemotherapy's impact on the body and opens up avenues for future research aimed at improving treatment outcomes and reducing side effects.