Cellular and Molecular Studies of Radio-Adaptive Responses Low Dose Radiation Damage and Radioprotection in the Vertebrate Embryo

William Dynan
Medical College of Georgia
Augusta, Georgia

Why this Project?

To identify mechanisms that control sensitivity and resistance to the effects of ionizing radiation in vitro.

Project Goals

To determine if radiation-induced apoptosis and other types of cell death are responsible for the radiation-induced damage in the central nervous system of the embryo
To investigate the underlying mechanisms of low dose radiation injury to the embryo
To test the hypothesis that DNA-double-strand break repair is the primary mechanism of protection against radiation-induced cell death.

Experimental Approach

This study will use the developing embryo of the zebra fish, Danio rerio, as a new radiobiological model. Cells from these embryos will be irradiated and transplanted into non-irradiated embryos. The impact of the radiated cells on non-irradiated neighboring cells will be evaluated.

Expected Outcomes

The studies will determine whether radiation-induced alterations in development that occur in vivo are a result of direct damage to an irradiated cell, or if it can be induced in non-exposed cells as a bystander effect.

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