Scientists hunt for genes to reverse aging body clock
NCT ID NCT04086589
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at why our internal body clock weakens with age. Researchers will take blood from 20 healthy young adults (ages 20-35) and 20 healthy older adults (ages 70-85) and add it to lab-grown cells to see how it affects their daily rhythms. The goal is to find genes that could restore a youthful circadian rhythm, which may later be tested in animals.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward genes that restore healthy sleep-wake cycles in older adults.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early exploratory study that is currently suspended. It only uses lab cells and animal models, so any findings may not apply to humans.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2019
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Apparent healthy volunteers
- Ages
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20 to 85 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * General good health with the following conditions permissible * cardiovascular risk prevention, intake of low dose aspirin, * hypertension, intake of beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, diuretics, calcium channel blockers * hypercholesterinemia, intake of statins * Cases: 70-85 years of age * Controls: 20-35 years of age * Patients must be able to read and understand English * Participants must sign the informed consent form * Participants must have a wrist-actigraphy-based average TST (total sleep time) ≥ 6 hours per night (measured over 7 consecutive days) occurring between 22:00 - 08:00 Exclusion Criteria: * Known history of severe psychiatric or cognitive conditions, for example mania, schizophrenia, or mental retardation * Shift work, defined as recurring work between 22:00-05:00 * History of clinically significant obstructive sleep apnea * Transmeridian travel across ≥2 time zones in the two weeks prior to the blood draws and one week after, * \> 2 drinks of alcohol per day * Use of illicit drugs
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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