2026/05/12

LIVER-MOON investigates night shift work and circadian disruption in metabolic and brain health

Night shift work is part of everyday life for millions of people worldwide. However, when work is performed during the night, the human body becomes misaligned with its internal biological clock. This phenomenon, known as circadian disruption, can have profound effects on metabolic, liver, and neurological health.

In this context, the LIVER-MOON project has been launched as a Centro de Investigación en Red (CIBER-ISCII) initiative coordinated by CIC bioGUNE, member of BRTA, and the Biomedical Research Foundation of Salamanca (FIBSAL), with a total funding of €222,000. The project aims to understand how night shift work and circadian rhythm disruption influence the development of metabolic diseases and healthy aging.

The project brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts in metabolism, neuroscience, and obesity, coordinated by Dr. Malu Martínez Chantar (CIC bioGUNE, CIBEREHD) and Dr. Juan P. Bolaños (FIBSAL, CIBERFES), together with researchers such as Dr. Montserrat Romero, Dr. José Luis Cantero, and Dr. Francisco José Ortega Delgado, from CIBERDEM, CIBERNED, and CIBEROBN research areas.

A central focus of the study is hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a molecule that, although toxic at high concentrations, plays an essential protective role in the body by regulating oxidative stress in the liver, brain, and adipose tissue. The project hypothesizes that circadian misalignment may disrupt H₂S production by affecting key enzymes such as CBS, CSE, and 3MPST, increasing cellular vulnerability to inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.

“Through LIVER-MOON, we aim to understand how circadian rhythm disruption affects key metabolic processes and whether interventions such as diet or hydrogen sulfide modulation could help reduce its impact on health”, explains Dr. Martínez-Chantar, coordinator of the project.

Diet, metabolism, and new preventive strategies

One of the most innovative aspects of the project is the exploration of diet as a potential therapeutic tool. Researchers are investigating whether increased intake of plant-based proteins may enhance endogenous H₂S production and improve resilience to metabolic stress, compared with pharmacological H₂S-releasing compounds such as SG-1002 and AP39.

This work is being conducted in animal models exposed to altered light–dark cycles over short- and long-term periods, allowing researchers to observe how circadian misalignment affects the liver, brain, and adipose tissue. The findings will later be validated in human studies involving middle-aged individuals with disrupted circadian rhythms and older adults with sleep disturbances or at risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Overall, LIVER-MOON proposes an integrated view of human physiology in which liver and brain function are closely interconnected. Disruption of H₂S regulation may influence not only metabolism but also brain health and aging. Based on this hypothesis, the project addresses a key question: can diet and metabolic interventions be adapted to working schedules to protect the health of night shift workers?

About CIC bioGUNE

The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organisation conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About BRTA

BRTA is an alliance of 4 collaborative research centres (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE y CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centres (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker y Vicomtech) with the main objective of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque corporate fabric.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration between the research centres, strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness and outspreading the Basque scientific-technological capacity abroad.

BRTA has a workforce of 3,500 professionals, executes 22 % of the Basque Country's R&D investment, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

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