I recently wrote on the subject of [circadian rhythms and cardiac surgery](https://cmglaw.com/Blog/2017/11/Does-the-time-of-day-affect-your-ou). Now new literature has come out on whether and to what extent circadian rhythms on a cellular level affect the body’s ability to heal from a burn.

The research, published in Science Translational Medicine, found that cells have circadian rhythms, and the time of day affects how the cells heal.

The researchers started with skin wounds in mice, noting that during the circadian rest period (nighttime) the cells healed less quickly than during the day. They then turned their attention at a database of human burn injuries. They found corroboration: daytime wounds healed about 60% faster than nighttime wounds.

What this means for the future of burn treatments is unclear from this research. However, better understanding how circadian rhythms affect the process should allow researchers to develop new treatments.

You can read an abstract from the research here:

[Circadian actin dynamics drive rhythmic fibroblast mobilization during wound healing](http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/9/415/eaal2774)