How the clock works
Our metabolism et the secretion of hormones They adapt to our lifestyle and our needs. There are true clock control which allows us to anticipate sleep phases, when we are fasting, and waking phases, when we eat. For example, the blood glucose remains within a physiological range even though we alternate periods of fasting and periods of eating.
Indeed, if blood sugar levels remain above the physiological limit for too long, the walls of blood vessels can be damaged and the body flooded with glucose, unnecessarily straining the pancreas and potentially leading to diabetes. Conversely, if blood sugar levels are below the physiological limitThere are risks to the brain, but also a risk hypoglycemic coma.
The clock helps maintain blood glucose levels in anticipation of fasting or eating phases Shortly before we wake up, our body's internal clock prepares us for the phase when we will eat: that is to say, it asks our liver to stop producing sugar, since he will soon receive some. The same applies to lipid metabolism: the clock orchestrates the storage phases by adipose tissue and use by muscle in the postprandial period, or use by the liver to stimulate de novo glucose synthesis during the fasting period.
A group of researchers dedicated to the Pasteur Institute of Lille
Researchers from around the world are working on this topic. In 2005, they proved that the body clock controls metabolism. The research group within the unit " Nuclear receptors, cardiovascular disease and diabetes Researchers at the Pasteur Institute in Lille are trying to understand how this translates into tissues. The clock has many components. Among them: Rev-erb-a, a nuclear receptor. It is this component of the clock that the group's researchers are focusing on. It is a particularly interesting gene for clock regulation because its activity can be modulated using chemical molecules. Thus, through this manipulation, the circadian control of metabolism and inflammation could be modified.
Public health issue
The public health issue is significant, since the people whose The clock is out of order. are more at risk to develop diabetesCardiovascular diseases, cancers, premature aging, depression… The list is long because when our The clock is not working properly. that's about Our entire body gradually becomes unbalanced.This disruption eventually causes numerous diseases or at least accelerates the development of diseases.
Scientists at the Pasteur Institute in Lille are seeking to understand how it works Rev-erb-a in tissues and in different situations, in order to understand to what extent and when it can regulate our biological clock. The ultimate goal is to develop drug candidates acting on the clock to restore its function, notably through chemical compounds impacting Rev-erb-a. Restoring the clock's proper functioning means to restore the functioning of the metabolism and the immune system.
Tired or is your clock malfunctioning?
From a very young age, Hélène Duez was passionate about biology. It was at 15 that she decided to become a researcher.
The turning point: an interview with François Jacob, Nobel Prize in Medicine. "His eyes shone, his story was captivating."She completed a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree in biochemistry. But after those four years, she still didn't know what being a researcher meant. She then decided to take a break from her studies and work in a research laboratory to experience the realities of the field. This experience reinforced her choice, and she resumed her studies. a DEA et a thesis on nuclear receptors, which she will carry out at the Pasteur Institute in Lille.
In 2004, she decided to go and work on diabetes in Canada. Her goal: to acquire complementary expertise and discover how research is conducted in other countries, in order to retain the positive aspects and work as effectively as possible.
After 3 years, she returned to France, spent the INSERM competition and quickly obtained a position at the Pasteur Institute in Lille. She then returned to her doctoral thesis topic, adding a dimension on biological rhythms. Today, with the help of her research group, she seeks to understand how and why metabolism is controlled by our biological clock. Furthermore, the team is working to understand the cause and effect relationship between the troubles of lifestyle rhythms and Team conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses, inflammatory diseases and many others.
Today, Dr. Hélène Duez is dedicated to educating and informing young people about the world of science and the various professions necessary for its operation; she tries to make them understand "You don't need to be top of your class in math, you just need to be passionate!"It is with this passion and unwavering determination that the group strives to explain the importance of research and its accessibility to all among the general public.
Winner of the first call for projects from the Transdisciplinary Research Centre on Longevity
Le Transdisciplinary Research Center on Longevity (CTRL) has as its main objective to contribute to extending healthy life expectancy after the age of 60 by detecting risk factors for developing degenerative diseases and limiting their consequences.
In 2017, as part of the first CTRL call for projects, Hélène Duez and François Trottein proposed a project on the consequences of age-related circadian rhythm dysfunction on innate immune defenses against respiratory infections.
This collaboration is the result of a reflection initiated by the two researchers over many years and made possible by the call for projects from the Transdisciplinary Research Center on Longevity. This work not only allows researchers from different teams to work together thanks to shared and complementary resources and skills, but also to take concrete action to help the population live better for longer. This is because disruptions to the biological clock not only lead to a decrease in immune defenses and therefore infections, but once infected, older people are less able to treat themselves effectively than younger adults.
