Title: Changing views on ionising radiation-induced cellular effects

Authors: D. Averbeck, I. Testard, D. Boucher

Addresses: Curie Institute, Research Division, UMR2027 IC/CNRS, CEA LRC No. 28V, Centre Universitaire d'Orsay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France. ' GANIL-CIRIL, Bd. Henri Becquerel, BP5133, 14070 Caen Cedex 05, France. ' Curie Institute, Research Division, UMR2027 IC/CNRS, CEA LRC No. 28V, Centre Universitaire d'Orsay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France

Abstract: Low dose and low dose-rate effects of ionising radiation (IR) are important issues in radiation protection. For these low exposures, radiation-induced double-strand breaks (DSB) and locally multiply damaged sites (LMDS) are considered very deleterious for cells, leading to lethality, mutations, genetic instability and cancer. However, recent results suggest that LMDS are much less frequent than generally thought. DNA lesions are recognised by sensor proteins which activate cellular IR responses such as cell cycle arrest, DNA repair or cell death. These processes clearly differ with dose and dose-rate, challenging the linear non-threshold hypothesis for radiation risk assessments.

Keywords: DNA double strand breaks; locally multiply damaged sites; mammalian cells; low dose rates; ionising radiation; radiation protection; low radiation; radiation risk assessment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2006.012011

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2006 Vol.3 No.2/3, pp.117 - 134

Published online: 09 Jan 2007 *

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