Radiation Combined Injury: Overview of Niaid Research

Abstract

The term "radiation combined injury" (RCI) is used to describe conditions where radiation injury is coupled with other insults such as burns, wounds, infection, or blunt trauma. A retrospective account of injuries sustained following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima estimates that RCI comprised approximately 65% of all injuries observed. Much of the research that has been performed on RCI was carried out during the Cold War and our understanding of the clinical problem RCI presents does not reflect the latest advances in medicine or science. Because concerns have increased that terrorists might employ radiological or nuclear weapons, and because of the likelihood that victims of such terrorism would experience RCI, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health sponsored a meeting in 2007 to explore the state of the research in this area, identify programmatic gaps, and establish priorities for future research. As a follow-up to that meeting, in 2008 NIAID sponsored an initiative on RCI, leading to the award of several exploratory/developmental grants, the goals of which are to better understand biological synergy involved in RCI-induced damage, develop improved animal models for various type of RCI, and advance identification and testing of potential countermeasures to treat injuries that would be expected following a radiological or nuclear event. This program has already yielded new insight into the nature of combined injuries and has identified a number of novel and existing compounds that may be effective treatments for this condition.

NRF2-mediated Notch pathway activation enhances hematopoietic reconstitution following myelosuppressive radiation

“…The hematopoietic system is highly sensitive to IR, and in particular, IR doses beyond 2 Gy can lead to myelosuppression that is characterized by neutropenia, lymphocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Collectively, hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS) increases the risk of infection, bleeding, and death (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9). There is an unmet need for effective interventions to mitigate the progression of H-ARS after IR exposure (10).…”

Identifying radiation exposure biomarkers from mouse blood transcriptome

“…The final dataset is comprised of 18 samples collected 6 h after whole-body radiation exposure (NCBI GEO Accession GSE33172). For biodosimetry after a radiologic event (DiCarlo et al, 2010), the dose range of interest is 1 Gy to 8 Gy. In our study, we used 2 Gy, a dose not associated with acute mortality, and 8 Gy, which will cause mortality in 50% or more of mice within several weeks (Green, 1966).…”

Neutrophil Accumulation in the Small Intestine Contributes to Local Tissue Destruction Following Combined Radiation and Burn Injury

“…While these tragedies took place 70 years ago, our knowledge of the effects of CRI is superficial at best, and there exists no established therapeutic strategy for trauma of this nature other than supportive care (21, 22). As fossil fuels become scarcer, the need for alternative fuel sources such as nuclear energy becomes more apparent.…”