Molecular underpinnings of circadian mechanism, chronotherapy and lung cancer: a mini-review

Molecular underpinnings of circadian mechanism, chronotherapy and lung cancer

Abstract

Humans adjust to the diurnally varying light-dark cycle in nature through circadian rhythm, a phenomenon of about 24 h oscillations in biological processes. The circadian rhythm operates at a genetic level that overt in circadian rhythm at biochemical, physiological and behavioral levels. The circadian rhythm is the output of coordinated functions of the central pacemaker Suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and peripheral oscillators existing in each cell of the various organ, including lungs. It is now well established that disruption in the circadian mechanism alters normal cells into cancerous cells. Lung cancer is one of the major cancers attributed to higher mortality. In this review, we have shed light on the pathophysiology and genetic polymorphism linked to lung cancer, molecular basis of the circadian rhythm, interaction between the clock genes and cell cycle genes, and association of circadian deregulation and lung cancer. At last, the importance of chronotherapy or chronomedicine in treatment of lung cancer to reduce side effects and increase the efficacy for increasing survival rate in cancer patients has been discussed.