Role of the body’s internal clock genes in diabetes and obesity

Many body processes, like sleeping and eating, have daily (circadian) cycles. These patterns are controlled by the body’s internal “clock” system. Many genes are involved in this clock system. Studies in mice have found that deleting certain clock genes can lead to obesity. A recent study linked sleep and diabetes in humans. These findings suggest that our circadian clocks may play a role in some diseases. Vanderbilt researchers are searching for slight differences (variants) people have in these clock genes. These slight differences may influence a person’s metabolism (how the body gets energy from food). So far, they have found 40 variants in 10 different clock genes. These variants are common in Americans. Using BioVU, they will now look for links between these variants and traits related to obesity and diabetes. The results may help us develop new treatments for diabetes and obesity. These could involve new drugs or simple behavior changes to combat these conditions.