we all have
our own circadian rhythm
Circadian rhythms — and the timing of molecular processes — vary from person to person. Understanding an individual’s circadian rhythm, and aligning sleep, physical activity, daylight exposure or medication intake with this internal timetable, can support health and shorten recovery and treatment times.
Time matters. It’s time to use it.
TimeTeller for more energy, health and performance
The human circadian clock regulates many cellular and molecular processes and is central to maintaining health and longevity.
Around 50% of human genes show rhythmic activity in at least one tissue.
well-functioning circadian rhythm
A well-functioning circadian clock that is aligned with individual lifestyle habits can significantly improve overall health and wellbeing. It regulates key processes in the body, including hormone release, eating behaviour and digestion, body temperature, and the sleep–wake cycle.
Disruption of circadian rhythm
When our internal clock falls out of sync, health can be adversely affected. Studies show associations with sleep problems, depression, metabolic disorders and other chronic conditions. The cause is often a mismatch between external cues and the individual’s internal circadian rhythm.
In tune with your own daily rhythm
The smooth coordination of key molecular and physiological processes is essential for health.
The TimeTeller analysis provides a detailed profile of your personal circadian rhythm and delivers recommendations for the optimal timing of your daily activities.
TimeTeller
in cancer treatment
Timing is critical — especially in cancer therapy.
When treatment is aligned with an individual’s circadian rhythm, it can be more effective and associated with fewer side effects. This improves patients’ quality of life and reduces healthcare costs.
Until now, the body’s internal biological clock has been largely overlooked in oncology and drug development — because a practical, non-invasive measurement method was lacking.
TimeTeller changes this. As the first user-friendly, non-invasive in vitro diagnostic (IVD), TimeTeller captures an individual’s circadian rhythm and enables precise, personalised therapy planning: maximum efficacy with minimal side effects.
This approach, known as chronotherapy, has demonstrated clear advantages in studies — including up to fivefold better tolerability and almost double the effectiveness compared with conventional treatment schedules.
In addition, 90–95% of cancer drugs fail during development. In around 30% of cases, the cause is excessive or uncontrollable toxicity. Many of these failures could be prevented through time-optimised administration.
TimeTeller brings chronotherapy into clinical practice and improves outcomes in chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, as well as targeted and combination therapies.
Timing matters. With TimeTeller, we are finally using it right.
Chronotherapy with TimeTeller: Better timing for better outcomes
TimeTeller® brings circadian biology into the clinical routine of cancer treatment:
Chemotherapy: Higher efficacy with fewer side effects such as fatigue and nausea.
Radiotherapy: Improved tumour control while sparing healthy tissue.
Immunotherapy: Higher response rates through time-optimised administration.
Hormone therapy: Improved efficacy by aligning treatment with hormonal rhythms.
Targeted and precision therapies: Reduced side effects by exploiting time-dependent cellular vulnerabilities.
Combination therapies: Rhythm-optimised treatment schedules for maximum benefit.
We are currently participating in clinical studies to validate the effectiveness of TimeTeller and to enable its use for cancer patients in Germany and beyond. To this end, TimeTeller creates an individual profile of the circadian clock using saliva analyses and computational modelling, with the aim of optimising treatment timing and reducing side effects.
BMAL1: This gene is a core component of the circadian clock and acts as a positive regulator of gene expression. Many other core biological processes like the cell cycle, metabolism and immune system are regulated by BMAL1. Defects in this gene have been linked to infertility, problems with gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis, as well as altered sleep patterns. BMAL1 is relevant for both short and long term memory, as well as to inflammatory and stress responses, is associated with ageing, major depressive disorders, sleep deprivation and cancer. BMAL1 plays a role in physical activity due to its effect on muscle growth and action. It regulates the MyoD gene which is necessary for the maintenance of skeletal muscle phenotype and function.
PER2: This gene is a member of the Period family of genes. PER2 regulates several different biological processes like lipid metabolism and mammary gland development. PER2 plays a detrimental role in cell cycle and cell proliferation and its aberrant activity was found to be associated with cancer. Ageing leads to a change in expression of PER2 . Polymorphisms in this gene may increase the risk of developing certain cancers and have been linked to sleep disorders. Physical activity has been linked to the circadian clock and PER2 is up-regulated by strength training.
TimeTeller
– related publications
Malhan, Deeksha et al. “Circadian rhythm disruption by PARP inhibitors correlates with treatment toxicity in patients with ovarian cancer and is a predictor of side effects.” EbioMedicine. (2025).doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2025.105764.
Malhan, Deeksha, et al. "Gene Expression And Patient-Reported Outcomes Reveal Links Between Circadian Rhythm Disruption And PARP Inhibitor Toxicity In Ovarian Cancer Patients." International Journal of Gynecological Cancer 35.2 (2025). doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgc.2024.101460.
Hesse, Janina, et al. "Shaping the future of precision oncology: Integrating circadian medicine and mathematical models for personalized cancer treatment". Current Opinion in Systems Biology (2024). doi.org/10.1016/j.coisb.2024.100506.
Nelson, Nina, et al. "Molecular mechanisms of tumour development in glioblastoma: an emerging role for the circadian clock." NPJ Precis Oncol (2024). doi.org/10.1038/s41698-024-00530-z.
Ludwig, Marius, et al. "Molecular characterization of the circadian clock in paediatric leukaemia patients: a prospective study protocol." BMC pediatrics (2023). doi.org/10.1186/s12887-023-03921-6.
Hesse, Janina, et al. "An integrative mathematical model for timing treatment toxicity and Zeitgeber impact in colorectal cancer cells." npj Systems Biology and Applications (2023). doi.org/10.1038/s41540-023-00287-4.
Hesse, Janina, et al. "A mathematical model of the circadian clock and drug pharmacology to optimize irinotecan administration timing in colorectal cancer." Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal (2021). doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.051.
Hesse, Janina, et al. "An optimal time for treatment—predicting circadian time by machine learning and mathematical modelling." Cancers (2020). doi.org/10.3390/cancers12113103.
Yalçin, Müge, et al. "Circadian clock dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease: mechanisms, consequences, and therapeutic strategy" npj Parkinsons Dis. (2025) . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01009-9.
Yalçin, Müge, et al. "Molecular characterization of the circadian clock in patients with Parkinson’s disease–CLOCK4PD Study protocol" PLOS ONE (2024) . doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305712.
Malhan, Deeksha, Relógio, Angela. "A matter of timing? The influence of circadian rhythms on cardiac physiology and disease" Eur Heart J. (2024) doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehad816.
Nelson, Nina et al., "Comprehensive integrative analysis of circadian rhythms in human saliva." npj Biological Timing and Sleep. (2025) doi.org/10.1038/s44323-025-00035-3.
Malhan, Deeksha, et al. "A prospective study to investigate circadian rhythms as health indicator in women’s aging." npj Women's Health (2025). doi.org/10.1038/s44294-025-00057-z.
Yalçin, Müge, Relógio, Angela. "Sex and age-dependent characterization of the circadian clock as a potential biomarker for physical performance: A prospective study protocol." Plos One (2024). doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293226.
Malhan, Deeksha, et al. "Circadian regulation in aging: Implications for spaceflight and life on earth." Aging Cell (2023). doi.org/10.1111/acel.13935.
Malhan, Deeksha, et al. "Skeletal muscle gene expression dysregulation in long-term spaceflights and aging is clock-dependent." npj Microgravity (2023). doi.org/10.1038/s41526-023-00273-4.
Dose, Benjamin, et al. "TimeTeller® for timing health: The potential of circadian medicine to improve performance, prevent disease and optimize treatment." Frontiers in Digital Health (2023). doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1157654.
Basti, Alireza, et al. "Diurnal variations in the expression of core-clock genes correlate with resting muscle properties and predict fluctuations in exercise performance across the day." BMJ open sport & exercise medicine (2021). doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000876.