Study links protein involved in removing Alzheimer's buildup to circadian rhythm

CHICAGO, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have reported that protein YKL-40 is both regulated by clock genes and involved in clearing away potentially toxic buildup of Alzheimer's proteins in the brain.

The researchers investigated how the presence or absence of a key circadian gene affects non-neuronal brain cells under inflammatory conditions. They discovered that the clock dictates how much YKL-40 is made.