Study suggests biological clock is key to reducing heart damage from radiation therapy

(Washington State University) A new study suggests that the biological clock is involved in heart toxicity from radiation therapy and could be harnessed as part of a preventive strategy. Findings show that after receiving radiation to the heart, mice with disrupted biological clocks had significantly worse heart function than controls. They also demonstrated that Bmal1--a protein that drives 24-hour rhythms in the expression of many genes--plays an important role in protecting the heart from radiation-related damage.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news