Japan has made a breakthrough in the treatment of sleep disorders

The research team led by Masashi Yanagisawa, director of the International Institute of Integrative Sleep Medicine at the University of Tsukuba, focused on an enzyme in the brain called SIK3 that is believed to play a key role in the immune system. brain function to regulate the depth and length of sleep. However, they have not yet determined the mechanism of action of SIK3.

In this study, the scientists modified the genes of laboratory mice. They found that SIK3 interacts with two other enzymes and affects sleep patterns through chain reactions. These chain reactions regulate the quality (depth) of sleep in the cerebral cortex and the length of sleep in the hypothalamus, a small part of the brain that helps maintain balance within the body. However, it is suggested that sleep is controlled not only by those chain reactions but also by more complex mechanisms. However, Japanese scientists hope that based on SIK3, they will develop a substance that helps better treat sleep disorders.