CANCERTIME · The biological clock and cancer

The circadian clock generates and regulates many daily physiological and behavioural rhythms and thereby also influences the health of the organism. This knowledge has been useful for treating various diseases including cancer. In cancer therapy, survival rate and secondary effects can be improved by applying the treatment at the right time of day. However, the mechanisms by which the clock influences cancer development and treatment effects are not well understood. In the outgoing phase of the grant I will study how the functionality of circadian clocks in tumor and healthy tissue influences tumor development and response to treatment in Dr. Antoch’s research group at the Roswell Cancer Institute in Buffalo, USA. I will use a unique mouse model which allows visualization of the clock in real time by using bioluminescence imaging technology. I will study in vivo how changes in the clock relate to tumor development. I will further experimentally regulate the expression of clock genes to investigate how disrupting the clock affects tumor development both in vitro, using cell lines, and in vivo, by inoculating healthy mice with manipulated tumors. In a final step, in the return phase of the grant I will work together with Dr. Selivanova at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden where I will test how potential anticancer drugs interact with the circadian clock and the apoptosis pathway.