A Novel Insight Into Eye Immunity and Circadian Biology
Charles Pfeifer, PhD, a former graduate student and postdoctoral researcher, Andrea Santeford, MS, supervisor in the Apte Lab at WashU Medicine, and Rajendra Apte, MD, PhD, Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, have published a landmark study in the journal Glia.
The paper, titled: “Microglial Bmal1 Contributes to Diurnal Physiology and Retinal Homeostasis”, presents a novel discovery about the circadian behavior of microglial cells in the retina.
“This study contributes to an emerging understanding of how circadian biology regulates immune cell physiology and their maintenance of broader tissue microenvironments in homeostasis,” said Pfeifer.
You can read the full paper in Glia here >>
The Link Between Circadian Rhythms and Neurodegenerative Disease
The research adds to growing evidence that disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease—both associated with circadian disruption—may impact the physiology of immune cells like microglia. This emerging field is now informing timed therapeutic strategies that aim to correct circadian dysfunction and improve patient outcomes.
A First in the Field
“This is the first study to reveal that microglial cells in the retina exhibit a circadian rhythm, which is essential for maintaining retinal and eye health,” noted Rajendra S Apte, MD, PhD.
“It’s a novel perspective not just for ophthalmology, but for understanding how immune cell rhythms support central nervous system homeostasis more broadly.”
This work, led by Pfeifer and Santeford, highlights the implications of circadian-regulated microglial function in retinal health and disease. The study not only identifies rhythms in immune activity within the eye, but also uncovers the cellular and tissue-level consequences of circadian disruption.
Gratitude to Collaborators and Funding Agencies
“We thank the various funding agencies and collaborators that made this work possible,” said Pfeifer. “We hope this sheds further light on the implications of circadian-entrained physiology in the eye and broader central nervous system.”
“Circadian rhythms in immune cells aren’t just happening in the brain—they’re in the eye, too. And they’re vital for keeping it healthy.”
Pfeifer
About WashU Medicine
WashU Medicine is a global leader in academic medicine, including biomedical research, patient care and educational programs with 2,900 faculty. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding portfolio is the second largest among U.S. medical schools and has grown 56% in the last seven years. Together with institutional investment, WashU Medicine commits well over $1 billion annually to basic and clinical research innovation and training. Its faculty practice is consistently within the top five in the country, with more than 1,900 faculty physicians practicing at 130 locations and who are also the medical staffs of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals of BJC HealthCare. WashU Medicine has a storied history in MD/PhD training, recently dedicated $100 million to scholarships and curriculum renewal for its medical students, and is home to top-notch training programs in every medical subspecialty as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and communications sciences.