Title: Actual and discussible issues of 21st century radiobiology

Authors: Samuil P. Yarmonenko

Addresses: N.N. Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 24 Kashirskoye shosse, 115478 Moscow, Russia

Abstract: In this paper, modern radiobiological issues related to the uncertainties of health effects induced by Low Radiation Exposure (LRE) are considered, particularly the radiation effect on the probability of major somatic consequences, including malignant neoplasms and inherited diseases. The existing models of radiation effects (linear nonthreshold, threshold and hormesis models) are critically analysed, including their limitations, advantages and disadvantages. The virtual model of the LRE being an extreme health danger supported by a large group of Russian specialists is especially criticised, which model excludes the real ability to regulate radiation exposure. The nonspecific repair mechanism is proposed; this mechanism developed in human beings during their evolution, and explains the large interspecies differences of LRE genetic effects, which reach a maximum in fruit flies, are less expressed in mice and are nonrecorded in humans.

Keywords: low radiation levels; stochastic effects; interspecies differences; genetic effects; nonspecific reparation mechanism; radiobiology; malignant neoplasms; inherited diseases; radiation effects models; radiation exposure.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2008.020250

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2008 Vol.5 No.3, pp.205 - 218

Published online: 10 Sep 2008 *

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