The Washington University study shows that circadian rhythms regulate gene activity differently across brain cell types and health states, and that about half of 82 Alzheimer-linked genes are clock-controlled. Researchers measured gene expression in astrocytes and microglia from Alzheimer-model mice and validated results in human tissue. The team suggests that modulating cellular clocks could become a therapeutic strategy to reduce amyloid buildup and slow disease progression, though causality remains unclear and more research is needed.
Alzheimer's May Hijack Cellular Clocks — New Study Finds Clock-Controlled Genes Linked to Disease
The Washington University study shows that circadian rhythms regulate gene activity differently across brain cell types and health states, and that about half of 82 Alzheimer-linked genes are clock-controlled. Researchers measured gene expression in astrocytes and microglia from Alzheimer-model mice and validated results in human tissue. The team suggests that modulating cellular clocks could become a therapeutic strategy to reduce amyloid buildup and slow disease progression, though causality remains unclear and more research is needed.
12:48 PM, 11/11/2025Health
Alzheimer's May Hijack Cellular Clocks — New Study Finds Clock-Controlled Genes Linked to Disease
A new study from Washington University School of Medicine reveals that the daily timing of gene activity — the circadian rhythm — varies by brain cell type and by health state, and that this timing controls many genes linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
What the researchers did
The team compared gene expression across time in two types of glial cells — astrocytes (which support neurons) and microglia (the brain's immune cells) — in mice engineered to develop Alzheimer-like amyloid-beta plaques and in healthy control mice. Key findings were validated using human brain tissue.
Key findings
Of 82 genes previously associated with Alzheimer’s risk, roughly half showed circadian regulation, meaning their activity rises and falls across the 24-hour cycle. The study also emphasizes that circadian control of gene expression is both cell-type dependent and context dependent (for example, differing between healthy and diseased states).
"There are 82 genes that have been associated with Alzheimer's disease risk, and we found that the circadian rhythm is controlling the activity of about half of those," said neurologist Erik Musiek of WashU Medicine.
Why it matters
Because circadian rhythms influence processes such as sleep, metabolism and cellular repair, disruption of those rhythms in glial cells could impair the brain’s ability to clear toxic proteins and maintain homeostasis. The researchers note it is not yet clear whether amyloid plaques disrupt the cellular clocks or whether altered clocks contribute to plaque formation — but either direction suggests potential therapeutic targets.
The study also links to clinical observations: Alzheimer’s often disturbs daily routines and can cause increased confusion in the late afternoon and evening ("sundowning").
Future directions
Researchers propose exploring interventions that modulate cellular clocks — for example, strengthening, weakening, or selectively adjusting clock function in certain cell types — to reduce amyloid accumulation or mitigate other disease processes. The authors stress the need for further work to understand mechanisms and safety before clinical application.
Publication: The study appears in Nature Neuroscience.
Note: Findings are based on animal models and human tissue analysis; causality and therapeutic efficacy remain to be established in future studies.