New Emerging Concepts in the Medical Management of Local Radiation Injury

Abstract

Treatment of severe radiation burns remains a difficult medical challenge. The response of the skin to ionizing radiation results in a range of clinical manifestations. The most severe manifestations are highly invalidating. Although several therapeutic strategies (excision, skin grafting, skin or muscle flaps) have been used with some success, none have proven entirely satisfying. The concept that stem cell injections could be used for reducing normal tissue injury has been discussed for a number of years. Mesenchymal stem cells therapy may be a promising therapeutic approach for improving radiation-induced skin and muscle damages. Pre-clinical and clinical benefit of mesenchymal stem cell injection for ulcerated skin and muscle restoration after high dose radiation exposure has been successfully demonstrated. Three first patients suffering from severe radiological syndrome were successfully treated in France based on autologous human grade mesenchymal stem cell injection combined to plastic surgery or skin graft. Stem cell therapy has to be improved to the point that hospitals can put safe, efficient, and reliable clinical protocols into practice.

New advances in the mesenchymal stem cells therapy against skin flaps necrosis

“…This might represent a novel therapeutic approach in skin graft surgery for diabetic wounds [48] . MSCs combined with plastic surgery or skin graft therapy may be a promising therapeutic approach for improving radiation-induced skin and muscle damages [49] . Recently, tissue engineered skin graft develops rapidly when taking micro-environment into consideration.…”

Alteration of the Serum N-glycome of Mice Locally Exposed to High Doses of Ionizing Radiation

“…Also, even if it is possible to diagnose a radiation burn, predicting the outcome of a lesion remains difficult, especially when the lesion is localized. Among different available therapeutic strategies for local injury, stem-cell-based therapies are very promising (7)(8)(9)(10). Nevertheless, the use of such therapies needs to be anticipated as early as possible in order to allow enough time to isolate and amplify cells before treatment.…”

Medical Response to Radiological Accidents in Latin America and International Assistance

“…During the past two decades, the IRSN and the Burn Treatment Centre of HIA Percy have demonstrated the clinical benefit of MSC therapy in the treatment of more than ten patients with local radiation-induced injuries from overexposure in radiological accidents (9,10). All of these clinical applications were supported by basic research performed in different preclinical studies using rodents and mini pigs.…”