Repair of radiation damage in mammalian cells

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5993638

Setlow, R B

The responses, such as survival, mutation, and carcinogenesis, of mammalian cells and tissues to radiation are dependent not only on the magnitude of the damage to macromolecular structures - DNA, RNA, protein, and membranes - but on the rates of macromolecular syntheses of cells relative to the half-lives of the damages. Cells possess a number of mechanisms for repairing damage to DNA. If the repair systems are rapid and error free, cells can tolerate much larger doses than if repair is slow or error prone. It is important to understand the effects of radiation and the repair of radiation damage because there exist reasonable amounts of epidemiological data that permits the construction of dose-response curves for humans. The shapes of such curves or the magnitude of the response will depend on repair. Radiation damage is emphasized because: (a) radiation dosimetry, with all its uncertainties for populations, is excellent compared to chemical dosimetry; (b) a number of cancer-prone diseases are known in which there are defects in DNA repair and radiation results in more chromosomal damage in cells from such individuals than in cells from normal individuals; (c) in some cases, specific radiation products in DNA have been correlated with biological effects, and (d) many chemical effects seem to mimic radiation effects. A further reason for emphasizing damage to DNA is the wealth of experimental evidence indicating that damages to DNA can be initiating events in carcinogenesis.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5993638
• Report Number(s): BNL-30056; BIO-3766; CONF-810873-2; ON: DE81030824
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560112* -- Radiation Effects on Biochemicals-- In Microorganisms-- (-1987)
560151 -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY
BIOLOGICAL REPAIR
CARCINOGENESIS
CORRELATIONS
DNA
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
DOSIMETRY
ERRORS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MAMMALS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
POPULATIONS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RECOVERY
REPAIR
VERTEBRATES