The bystander effect describes radiation-induced biological effects in nonirradiated cells that have received signals from irradiated cells. In a co-culture experiment, the bystander signaling is proposed to occur via the medium. Using a co-culture setup, the work in this thesis investigates the effects of temperature as an experimental parameter and linear energy transfer (LET) dependence on t...

The importance of bystander effects is becoming more appreciated, as studies show they may affect the course of cancer and other chronic diseases. The term "bystander effects" refers to changes in naïve cells sharing the same milieu with cells that have been damaged. Bystander cells may be in contact with, or distant from, damaged cells. In addition, it has been shown in culture that not only p...

The induction of "bystander effects" i.e. effects in cells which have not received an ionizing radiation track, is now accepted but the mechanisms are not completely clear. Bystander effects following high and low LET radiation exposure are accepted but mechanisms are still not understood. There is some evidence for a physical component to the signal. This paper tests the hypothesis that bioele...

Radiation induced bystander effects are secondary effects caused by the production of chemical signals by cells in response to radiation. We present a Bio-PEPA model which builds on previous modelling work in this field to predict: the surviving fraction of cells in response to radiation, the relative proportion of cell death caused by bystander signalling, the risk of non-lethal damage and the...

We present the results of a series of computer simulations that examined the impact of winner, loser, and bystander effects on hierarchy formation in fused groups. These effects and their implications for hierarchy structure and aggressive interactions were first examined in small four-member groups. Subsequent to this, the two small groups were fused into a single larger group. Further interac...

The induction of bystander suppression, whereby the response against one Ag is suppressed when it is presented in the context of an Ag to which tolerance is already established, would be an important property of oral tolerance, because it would allow treatment of autoimmune and hypersensitivity responses where the initiating Ag is not known. Although bystander suppression has been described in ...

Background: The induction of bystander effect via ionizing radiation has been well proven. However, few studies have investigated the bystander effect following non-ionizing radiation, such as ultrasound waves. Here, the bystander effect after different sonication times on human melanoma cell line (A375), is evaluated by assessing cell viability and apoptosis. Materials and Methods: The cells w...

Radiation-induced bystander effect represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of the radiobiological effects of ionizing radiation in that extranuclear and extracellular effects may also contribute to the final biological consequences of exposure to low doses of radiation. Evidence suggests that targeted cytoplasmic irradiation results in mutation in the nucleus of the "hit" cells and tha...