Time heals all wounds
Disrupting circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle corresponding to light and darkness, is associated with disease and aging. Here, Hoyle et al. discovered a role for circadian control in wound healing. Skin wounds in mice wounded during the circadian rest period healed less quickly than those wounded during the active period. The authors uncovered a circadian regulation of actin, a cytoskeletal protein involved in cell migration, in fibroblasts in the wound-healing response. Analysis of a database of human burn injuries showed that those incurred during the night (rest period) healed more slowly than wounds acquired during the day (active period). This work extends our understanding of cell-autonomous clock control.
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