Circadian clock associates with tumor microenvironment in thoracic cancers

A wide range of core clock genes are epigenetically altered in lung adenocarcinomas and lung squamous cell carcinomas but not in esophageal carcinomas.

• Core circadian clock genes play distinct roles in thoracic cancers, particularly lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma.
• Epigenetic alterations in clock genes were observed specifically in lung adenocarcinomas and lung squamous cell carcinomas.
• Core clock genes show a high correlation with processes such as cell death and the cell cycle, notably RORA and PER2.
• CD4 and CD8 T cells are associated with core clock molecules in lung adenocarcinomas and lung squamous cell carcinomas.
• These findings suggest that chrono-immunotherapy could be a potential approach for managing these types of cancer.

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