About this Research Topic
Radiation is a serious health threat to the public, particularly to first responders and military personnel in a scenario of nuclear accidents, use of nuclear weapons. Medical procedures or space travels are also associated with radiation toxicity. The FDA has approved 4 medical countermeasures (MCM) focused on the acute radiation-induced hematopoietic sub-syndrome. Further research is urgently needed. The mechanisms of radiation toxicity are complex and not completely understood. Moreover, there are no MCM approved, under the FDA Animal Rule, to prevent or treat Gastrointestinal Acute Radiation Syndrome (GI-ARS) or the multi-organ injury characteristic of the Delayed Effects of Acute Radiation Exposure (DEARE), e.g., the lung, kidney, or heart, etc. Additionally, the continued development of MCM requires validated animal models, the definition of concurrent multi-organ natural history, and a multi-parameter biodosimetry/biomarker analysis to assist in triage and predict clinical outcomes within the ARS and DEARE.
The goal of this Research Topic is to disseminate the most up-to-date research in the field of radiation-induced ARS and DEARE, advancements in the study of radiation toxicity, and pre- and post-exposure MCM development. This collection will provide researchers, students, and public health professionals with current recognition and understanding of recent developments in the field relative to organ-specific and multi-organ injury, MCM development, mechanisms of action, and systems biology and definitive biomarker paradigms to predict clinical outcomes.
The collection covers a broad range of topics related to radiation, including its effects on human health, the development of interventions to prevent and mitigate its harmful effects, and the regulatory framework of the FDA Animal Rule and guidance criteria required for MCM approval. Precisely, this focuses on studying the harmful effects that ionizing radiation can have on living organisms. This might include studies of the biological mechanisms through which radiation damages cells and tissues, as well as investigations of the short- and long-term health impacts of exposure to radiation. Some specific areas of research that might be included in this Research Topic are:
1. the acute and/or delayed multi-organ effects of ionizing radiation
2. radiation protectants/mitigators that show promise in increasing survival or decreasing organ injuries/morbidity
3. radiation dosimetry and biomarker tools to estimate/predict radiation lethality or organ injuries.
The goal of this Research Topic is to disseminate the most up-to-date research in the field of radiation-induced ARS and DEARE, advancements in the study of radiation toxicity, and pre- and post-exposure MCM development. This collection will provide researchers, students, and public health professionals with current recognition and understanding of recent developments in the field relative to organ-specific and multi-organ injury, MCM development, mechanisms of action, and systems biology and definitive biomarker paradigms to predict clinical outcomes.
The collection covers a broad range of topics related to radiation, including its effects on human health, the development of interventions to prevent and mitigate its harmful effects, and the regulatory framework of the FDA Animal Rule and guidance criteria required for MCM approval. Precisely, this focuses on studying the harmful effects that ionizing radiation can have on living organisms. This might include studies of the biological mechanisms through which radiation damages cells and tissues, as well as investigations of the short- and long-term health impacts of exposure to radiation. Some specific areas of research that might be included in this Research Topic are:
1. the acute and/or delayed multi-organ effects of ionizing radiation
2. radiation protectants/mitigators that show promise in increasing survival or decreasing organ injuries/morbidity
3. radiation dosimetry and biomarker tools to estimate/predict radiation lethality or organ injuries.
Keywords: Ionizing radiation, Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS), Delayed Effect of Acute Radiation Exposure (DEARE), Mechanism of radiation toxicity, Multi-organ injury, Radiation mitigators, Pre-exposure prophylaxis, Radiation biodosimetry/biomarkers
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
