For decades, scientists believed the answer to jet lag was simply to wait and see.

A team of Japanese researchers from various universities has made new discoveries. Kanazawa University, Osaka University, Toyohashi University of Technology, and the Institute of Science, Tokyo, are all pushing the boundaries of what is possible through their innovative contributions to medicine.

Anyone who has ever taken an international flight might understand what sleep deprivation feels like. In this case, the circadian rhythm is off for days. However, thanks to this dream team of scientists, there is now a cure for jet lag.

At the root of jet lag is the CRY1 protein. The CRY1 protein is the “brake” that prevents the body clock from fast-forwarding too quickly. However, this new drug, Mic-628, fast-forwards the body’s internal clock by inhibiting this protein and activating the Period1 (Per1) gene. The Japanese “dream team” has done something never before seen. They have reduced the recovery period for jet lag from 7 days to 4 days. So, what makes this team Japanese unique?

The magic of the Mic-628 drug is its stability and its ability to work regardless of when it is administered.

In previous attempts to create a drug to cure jet lag, it was only effective when taken at a specific time in the circadian rhythm. Thus, no one would have remembered this debacle if not for the breakthrough made by Tei and Takahata’s team. This ability to advance the phase regardless of when the drug is administered makes this drug the “smart drug” for treating jet lag or relieving symptoms of night-shift work.