Identification and characterization of mutations that drive cancer evolution constitute a major focus of cancer research. Consequently, dominant paradigms attribute the tumorigenic effects of carcinogens in general and ionizing radiation in particular to their direct mutagenic action on genetic loci encoding oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. However, the effects of irradiation are not limit...

One of the major health risks to astronauts is radiation on long-duration space missions. Space radiation from sun and galactic cosmic rays consists primarily of 85% protons, 14% helium nuclei and 1% high-energy high-charge (HZE) particles, such as oxygen (16O), carbon, silicon, and iron ions. HZE particles exhibit dense linear tracks of ionization associated with clustered DNA damage and often...

Radiation accidents frequently involve acute high dose partial body irradiation leading to victims with radiation sickness and cutaneous radiation syndrome that implements radiation-induced cell death. Cells that are not lethally hit seek to repair ionizing radiation (IR) induced damage, albeit at the expense of an increased risk of mutation and tumor formation due to misrepair of IR-induced DN...

During deep space missions, astronauts will be exposed to low doses of charged particle irradiation. The long-term health effects of these exposures are largely unknown. We previously showed that low doses of oxygen ion (16O) irradiation induced acute damage to the hematopoietic system, including hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells in a mouse model. However, the chronic effects of low dose ...

PURPOSE Pelvic irradiation for the treatment of cancer can affect normal cells, such as the rapidly proliferating spermatogenic cells of the testis, leading to infertility, a common post-irradiation problem. The present study investigated the radioprotective effect of rolipram, a specific phosphodiesterase type-IV inhibitor known to increase the expression and phosphorylation of the cyclic aden...

Growth hormone (GH) secretion was studied in 15 children at various times after treatment for acute lymphatic leukaemia. Impaired GH responses both to hypoglycaemia and to Bovril were found in 4 children. 13 of the children had been given prophylactic cranial irradiation of either 2500 rads in 10 fractions or 2400 rads in 20 fractions. The reduction in GH responses in those given the former dos...

Acute and long-term sequels of central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis with irradiation and intrathecal chemotherapy in children suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) include vasculopathies, leucoencephalopathies, intracranial calcifications, intellectual and neurological impairment. We report two children at the age 5 and 8 years who manifested partial motor or complex seizures an...