"Time" for obesity-related cancer: The role of the circadian rhythm in cancer pathogenesis and treatment. (June 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Miro, Caterina; Docimo, Annamaria; Barrea, Luigi; Verde, Ludovica; Cernea, Simona; Sojat, Antoan Stefan; Marina, Ljiljana V.; Docimo, Giovanni; Colao, Annamaria; Dentice, Monica; Muscogiuri, Giovanna
• Is Part Of: Seminars in cancer biology. Volume 91(2023)
• Page Start: 99
• Page End: 109
• Publication Date: 2023-06
• Subjects: Clock genes -- Obesity -- Breast cancer -- Colorectal cancer -- Circadian rhythm; Cancer -- Periodicals; Neoplasms -- Periodicals; Review Literature; Cancer -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 616.994
• DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.03.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1044-579X

Abstract

Abstract: The circadian rhythm is regulated by an intrinsic time-tracking system, composed both of a central and a peripheral clock, which influences the cycles of activities and sleep of an individual over 24 h. At the molecular level, the circadian rhythm begins when two basic helix-loop-helix/Per-ARNT-SIM (bHLH-PAS) proteins, BMAL-1 and CLOCK, interact with each other to produce BMAL-1/CLOCK heterodimers in the cytoplasm. The BMAL-1/CLOCK target genes encode for the repressor components of the clock, cryptochrome (Cry1 and Cry2) and the Period proteins (Per1, Per2 and Per3). It has been recently demonstrated that the disruption of circadian rhythm is associated with an increased risk of developing obesity and obesity-related diseases. In addition, it has been demonstrated that the disruption of the circadian rhythm plays a key role in tumorigenesis. Further, an association between the circadian rhythm disruptions and an increased incidence and progression of several types of cancer (e.g., breast, prostate, colorectal and thyroid cancer) has been found. As the perturbation of circadian rhythm has adverse metabolic consequences (e.g., obesity) and at the same time tumor promoter functions, this manuscript has the aim to report how the aberrant circadian rhythms affect the development and prognosis of different types of obesity-related cancers (breast, prostate, colon rectal and thyroid cancer) focusing on both human studies and on molecular aspects.