<p>A team of researchers has discovered how daylight can boost the immune system&rsquo;s ability to fight infections.</p>
<p>The finding paves the way for development of drugs that target the circadian clock in neutrophils to boost their ability to fight <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-rains-untimely-rain-could-lead-to-viral-infections-stomach-ailments-23545797" target="_blank" rel="none noopener"><strong>infections</strong></a>, said the study led by scientists at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.</p>
<p>The team focused on the most abundant immune cells in our bodies, called &lsquo;neutrophils&rsquo;, which are a type of white blood cell. These cells move quickly to the site of an infection and kill invading bacteria.</p>
<p>The researchers used zebrafish, a small freshwater fish, as a model organism, because its genetic make-up is similar to ours and they can be bred to have transparent bodies, making it easy to observe biological processes in real time.</p>
<p>&ldquo;In earlier studies, we had observed that immune responses peaked in the morning, during the fish&rsquo;s early active phase,&rdquo; says Associate Professor Christopher Hall, from the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We think this represents an evolutionary response such that during daylight hours the host is more active so more likely to encounter bacterial infections,&rdquo; Hall added.</p>
<p>However, the scientists wanted to find out how the immune response was being synchronised with daylight.</p>
<p>With this new study, published in Science Immunology, neutrophils were found to possess a circadian clock that alerted them to daytime, and boosted their ability to kill bacteria.</p>
<p>Most of our cells have circadian clocks to tell them what time of day it is in the outside world, in order to regulate the body&rsquo;s activities. Light has the biggest influence on resetting these circadian clocks.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Given that neutrophils are the first immune cells to be recruited to sites of <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/health-and-fitness/article/chronic-diseases-lifestyle-factors-can-increase-risk-of-inflammation-cognitive-decline-experts-23384663" target="_blank" rel="none noopener"><strong>inflammation</strong></a>, our discovery has very broad implications for therapeutic benefit in many inflammatory diseases,&rdquo; Hall noted. Current research is now focused on understanding the specific mechanisms by which light influences the neutrophil circadian clock.</p>
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The team focused on the most abundant immune cells in our bodies, called ‘neutrophils’, which are a type of white blood cell

Daylight may boost immune system's ability to fight infections: Study

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Daylight may boost immune system's ability to fight infections: Study

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