The circadian clock and inflammation: A new insight

•The circadian clock generally exists in mammals, and clock genes are expressed in a circadian rhythm.•Recently many studies have revealed that the circadian clock regulates the immune response.•There is a bi-directional relationship between inflammatory response and the circadian clock.•This work may provide a new direction for the discovery of circadian rhythm targets that may be used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The circadian clock is a complex cellular mechanism that controls a series of physiological processes, including inflammation. It can directly interact physically with the components of the key inflammatory pathway. Similarly, inflammation can also lead to circadian rhythm disorders, which may further amplify the inflammatory response and aggravate tissue damage. This review offers a structured overview that focusses on the core proteins of the circadian clock and their interactions with inflammatory players, and provides a potential mechanism for the pathological rhythms observed under inflammatory conditions.