RCSI research explains how our body clock influences vaccine responses

Research by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has provided new insights into the mechanism behind how our circadian 24-hour body clock influences our immune response to vaccines, depending on the time of day. The paper published in Nature Communications examined the changes taking place in the mitochondria of a key immune cell involved in the vaccine response and could help improve the design and timing of administration of future vaccines to maximise effectiveness. It had been previously found that humans mount a greater response to certain vaccines depending on the time of day at which the vaccine is administered, however the reason behind this wasn’t clearly understood. This research has uncovered that our circadian clock is changing the shape of mitochondria within dendritic cells. The variations in the structure of mitochondria influence how well dendritic cells function throughout the day. Research author Professor Annie Curtis, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences...