J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2011 Jan-Mar;25(1):137-43.
Many aspects of human physiology, metabolism and behaviour vary over the 24-hour day and can have a major impact on our health and well-being. Circadian rhythms are observed at all levels of cellular organization. There are daily oscillations in the levels of enzymes and hormones that affect the timing of cell function, division, and growth. Recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying circadian rhythms has been remarkable. In its most basic form, circadian clocks are comprised of a set of proteins that generate a self-sustaining transcriptional-translational feedback loop with a free-running period of about 24 h. One or more of the clock components is acutely sensitive to light, resulting in an oscillator that can be synchronized to local time. The disruption or the reinforcement of the host circadian timing system, respectively, accelerates or slows down cancer growth through modifications of host and tumor circadian clocks.
人体的许多生理、代谢和行为特征在 24 小时内会发生变化，对我们的健康和幸福有重大影响。生物钟节律在细胞组织的各个层面都有体现。酶和激素的水平会发生日常波动，影响细胞功能、分裂和生长的时间。在理解生物钟节律的分子机制方面，最近取得了显著进展。在最基本的形式中，生物钟由一组蛋白质组成，这些蛋白质生成一个自我维持的转录-翻译反馈回路，其自由运行周期约为 24 小时。一个或多个时钟组件对光极为敏感，从而形成一个可以与当地时间同步的振荡器。宿主生物钟计时系统的破坏或强化分别通过宿主和肿瘤生物钟的改变加速或减缓癌症的生长。
