Molecular mechanisms of radiation-induced bystander effects in vivo
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Date
2008
Authors
Koturbash, Igor
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Arts and Science, 2008
Abstract
Ionizing radiation (IR), along with being an important diagnostic and treatment
modality, is a potent tumor-causing agent, and the risk of secondary radiation
treatment-related cancers is a growing clinical problem. Now some studies propose to
link secondary radiation-induced cancers to an enigmatic phenomenon of bystander
effects, whereby the exposed cells send signal damage and distress to their naïve
neighbors and result in genome destabilization and carcinogenesis. Yet, no data
existed on the bystander effects in an organ other than an exposed one. With this in
mind, we focused on the analysis of existence and mechanisms of radiation-induced
bystander effects in vivo. We have found that bystander effects occur in vivo in
distant skin and spleen following half-body or cranial irradiation. These bystander
effects resulted in elevated DNA damage, profound dysregulation of epigenetic
machinery, and pronounced alterations in apoptosis, proliferation and gene
expression. Bystander effects also exhibited persistency and sex specificity. The
results obtained while using the animal model systems can potentially be extrapolated
to different animals and humans.
Description
xiii, 208 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.
Keywords
Dissertations, Academic , Ionizing radiation -- Health aspects , Radiation carcinogenesis -- Animal models , Radiation carcinogenesis , DNA -- Effect of radiation on