title: Pulmonary injury associated with radiation therapy - Assessment, complications and therapeutic targets.
abstract: Pulmonary injury is more common in patients undergoing radiation therapy for lungs and other thoracic malignancies. Recently with the use of most-advanced technologies powerful doses of radiation can be delivered directly to tumor site with exquisite precision. The awareness of technical and clinical parameters that influence the chance of radiation induced lung injury is important to guide patient selection and toxicity minimization strategies. At the cellular level, radiation activates free radical production, leading to DNA damage, apoptosis, cell cycle changes, and reduced cell survival. Preclinical research shows the potential for therapies targeting transforming growth factor-β (TGF-B), Toll like receptor (TLRs), Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and so on that may restore lung function. At present Amifostine (WR-2721) is the only approved broad spectrum radioprotector in use for patients undergoing radiation therapy. Newer techniques also offer the opportunity to identify new biomarkers and new targets for interventions to prevent or ameliorate these late effects of lung damage.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunopharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Research, Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum 695 011, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Rasmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajan Radha
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunopharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Research, Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum 695 011, Kerala, India. Electronic address: immunopharmacologyrcc@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Guruvayoorappan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chandrasekharan
mesh_terms: D004999:Amifostine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects*; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D004999:Amifostine
keywords: Lung damage; Pulmonary injury; Radiation; Radioprotector