Scientists identify gene that controls sleep, raising hopes for insomnia treatment

From inews.co.uk

Scientists have identified a gene that controls sleep – raising hopes of a treatment for insomnia in the coming years.
Researchers found that mice with a mutation in their ADRB1 gene were able to get by on less sleep than those without.
They hope to create drugs that can mimic the way the mutated gene functions that can be used to help people get to sleep – and sleep more effectively once they have.
Apart from improving their functioning on a day to day basis, improved sleep would also reduce the risk of a wide range of conditions associated with sleeplessness, from dementia to premature ageing, researchers said.

                  Scientists discover gene associated with a good night’s sleep (Photo: QuietOn)

Exciting research

“We are very excited about this research. It will help us find ways not only to relieve the sufferer of sleep problems but also increase sleep efficiency to help healthy ageing,” said Ying-Hui Fu, of the University of California at San Francisco.
Experts cautioned that more research is needed to determine whether the finding in mice can be translated into drugs that help humans sleep, meaning any treatment is still some years away.
“It’s remarkable that we know so little about sleep, given that the average person spends a third of their lives doing it,” says Louis Ptáček, a co-researcher from the same university.

New frontier

“This research is an exciting new frontier that allows us to dissect the complexity of circuits in the brain and the different types of neurons that contribute to sleep and wakefulness,” he said.
The researchers conducted a number of experiments in mice carrying a mutated version of the gene. They found that these mice slept on average 55 minutes less than regular mice – humans with the gene sleep two hours less than average.

https://inews.co.uk/news/health/scientists-sleep-gene-insomnia-treatment-study-revealed/