Researchers Reveal How Inflammation Promotes Stiffness in the Morning

(Newswire.net — November 15, 2022) Orlando, FL — Morning stiffness is a common symptom of arthritis, and it affects a lot of individuals with this condition. Now a study has found why this symptom usually happens in the morning.

This research was published in The FASEB Journal.

In this research, the investigators describe a certain protein produced by the biological clock of the body. This protein works in actively repressing inflammatory pathways within the affected limbs during the night.

The name of the protein is cryptochrome, and in cultured cells, it has been proven to have anti-inflammatory benefits. The findings may pave the way for the development of pharmaceutical drugs useful in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and conditions, such as arthritis.

According to Julie Gibbs, Ph.D., by understanding how the biological clock regulates inflammation, we can begin to develop new treatments, which might exploit this knowledge.

Gibbs is a researcher involved in the work and arthritis research UK career development fellow at the Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes at the Institute of Human Development at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom. 

“Furthermore, by adapting the time of day at which current drug therapies are administered, we may be able to make them more effective,” she added. 

The investigators in this study used cells from the joint tissue of healthy mice and/or humans.  These cells are called “fibroblast-like synoviocytes,” and are considered essential in the pathology that underlies inflammatory arthritis. 

It is important to note that each of these cells maintains a 24-hour rhythm, the disruption of which leads to increased inflammatory response. Disruption takes place when the cryptochrome gene is knocked out. 

This suggests that such a cryptochrome gene product has essential anti-inflammatory effects. 

“This study reminds us that inflammation, typically thought of as chronic and brittle, can, in fact, be nuanced — In this case, under the influence of the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus, which controls the body’s circadian physiology,” said Thoru Pederson, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. 

Multiple research studies have warned against chronic inflammation, which is linked with a myriad of medical conditions. It is also important to note that certain all-natural anti-inflammatories like curcumin are widely studied by researchers and resorted to by consumers.

This phytochemical is popularized by its disease-fighting benefits. It doesn’t just have strong antioxidants, but also anti-inflammatory properties. Today, it is widely obtained through the use of formulas like Divine Bounty Curcumin.

This highly potent and pure formula gains increasing popularity today (http://amazon.com/Turmeric-Curcumin-BioPerine-Pepper-Extract/dp/B00VSVKJ8I).