title: Biophysical aspects of Auger processes--A review.
abstract: Radionuclide decay by electron capture and/or internal conversion is accompanied by complex atomic vacancy cascades and emission of low-energy electrons, resulting in a highly charged daughter atom and a high density of electron irradiation in the immediate vicinity of the decay site. The molecular and cellular consequences of such decay events include DNA strand breaks, mutations, chromosome aberrations, malignant transformation, division delay, and cell death. Damage to cells depends largely on the intracellular location of the radionuclide. Decays outside the cell nucleus produce low-LET-type radiation effects (RBE approximately 1). In contrast, decays in DNA cause pronounced high-LET-type effects (RBE approximately 7-9). However, recent studies suggest that even for DNA-associated Auger emitters cell damage can be modified to resemble the pattern observed with low-LET radiations. These findings indicate that the molecular and cellular mechanism(s) responsible for the cytotoxic effects of Auger emitters remain obscure.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee 32306, USA.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Hofer
mesh_terms: D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D004247:DNA / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011876:Radionuclide Generators
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011868:Radioisotopes; D004247:DNA