Genomic instability and bystander effects: a paradigm shift in radiation biology?
A basic paradigm in radiobiology is that, following exposure to ionizing radiation, the deposition of energy in the cell nucleus and the resulting damage to DNA, the principal target, are responsible for the radiation's deleterious biological effects. Findings in two rapidly expanding fields of research--radiation-induced genomic instability and bystander effects--have caused us to reevaluate these central tenets. In this article, the potential influence of induced genomic instability and bystander effects on cellular injury after exposure to low-level radiation will be reviewed.
Morgan
William F
WF
Radiation Oncology Research Laboratory, BRB 6-011, Program in Oncology, University of Maryland Baltimore, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA.
D000818:Animals; D024201:Bystander Effect; D016678:Genome; D006801:Humans; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental