Cell Discovery Linked to Beating Jet Lag

A new cell discovery could limit the days you spend yawning during vacation. University of Manchester researchers found that certain brain cells that are active during the day help regulate a person’s body clock and could prevent jet lag.

Previously, these cells were thought to be inactive during the day. The Manchester researchers contested the idea that the brain keeps the body awake by firing more cells during daylight and fewer at night. Instead, they found that the cells can appear quiet or even dead before becoming normally active again. This tells the body when to be active again.

The discovery could help combat sleep disorders as well as jet lag. The pharmaceutical industry will most likely be interested in developing chemical treatments to reset the body’s clock, one of the lead researchers said.

AUTHOR: Annette Hulbert