# UNCOVERING BIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF DISEASE RISK IN SHIFT WORKERS

> **NIH NIH SC2** · MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $142,000

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Shift workers represent nearly 20 % of the US working population, and this occupational hazard
conveys increased risk for myriad of pathologies. Our preclinical research provides insight into the basis of
shift-work disease. In our previous work, we have revealed that dysregulated inflammation occurs in animal
models of shift work, with broad suppression under basal conditions and hypersensitivity to inflammatory
challenge. Since aberrant inflammatory responses would be expected to increase stroke, myocardial infarction,
diabetes, and cancer, as is observed in shift work epidemiological studies, we hypothesize that chronic
dysregulation of inflammation due to environmental disruption underlies the increased risk of disease
in career shift workers.
In this application, we will conduct a cross-sectional pilot study of human day workers and shift workers
exposed to temporally changing occupational environments. We aim to test the hypothesis that humans
exposed to shift-work environments develop 1), decreased expression of immune markers, and 2),
aberrant inflammatory responses upon ex-vivo endotoxin activation. Furthermore, we will measure
individual light exposure parameters, activity/rest changes and expression of stress and metabolic hormones to
link a comprehensive immune profile to specific shift-work exposure history. Our initial goal is to uncover
aberrant inflammatory responses defined as those in which the critical balance between pro- and anti-
inflammatory signaling processes is disrupted and then determine if the severity of disruption relates to
increased shift-work exposure.
Long term, our ultimately goal is to establish a preventive medicine research program that will
investigate inflammatory responses in actual shift workers using a low-invasive, blood based ex-vivo
assay. Follow-up longitudinal studies will develop this assay into a diagnostic tool to identify biological markers
linked to the duration of shift-work exposure and to basal biological changes predictive of disease risk.
Identification of biological markers of shift-work related environmental disruption may reveal a
mechanistic link between shift-work exposure and disease risk, and may become a future tool for
workplace intervention by preventive identification of aberrant inflammatory responses in specific shift
scheduling systems. .

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9861250
- **Project number:** 5SC2GM125493-03
- **Recipient organization:** MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Oscar Castanon-Cervantes
- **Activity code:** SC2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $142,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-03-01 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9861250

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9861250, UNCOVERING BIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF DISEASE RISK IN SHIFT WORKERS (5SC2GM125493-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9861250. Licensed CC0.

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