title: A review of radiation countermeasure work ongoing at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The hazard of exposure to ionizing radiation is a serious public and military health concern that has justified substantial efforts to develop medically effective radiation countermeasure approaches, including radiation protectors, mitigators, and therapeutics. Although such efforts were initiated more than half a century ago, no safe and effective radiation countermeasure has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the acute radiation syndrome. This situation has prompted intensified research among government laboratories, academic institutions, and pharmaceutical companies to identify a new generation of countermeasures. In this communication we discuss selected promising radiation countermeasures at advanced stages of development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Other than granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, which has an Emergency Use Investigational New Drug (IND) status, four countermeasures have FDA IND status and other promising countermeasures are in development. Here we review primarily the in vivo efficacy of selected countermeasures in animal models and clinical studies.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Countermeasures Program, Scientific Research Department, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute; Department of Radiation Biology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA. singh@afrri.usuhs.mil
authors.forename: Vijay K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ducey
authors.forename: Darren S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Mark H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Whitnall
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine; D008889:Military Personnel; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D011853:Radiobiology