Uranium, plutonium... Radionuclides - Which effects on the living?

After a recall of the definitions of some important words and notions related to radioactivity and irradiation, a first article discusses the development of biokinetic and dosimetric models for the description of radioactive elements in the human body, and the energy deposition due to their disintegration. Main French and international actors are indicated. A second article discusses the role of bones which may fix an exogenous metal and thus act as a defence of the body by preventing this metal to damage more sensitive soft organs. A third article addresses the evolution of the study of uranium toxicology, and more particularly discusses the biochemical study of the mechanisms of interaction between uranyl (the solute form of uranium) and proteins: the objective is to better understand its transport, its bio-distribution, its retention, its mode of action and its excretion. The fourth article addresses the elaboration of molecules which could trap radionuclides and actinides within the body and limit their toxicity in case of contamination due to accidental exposure. The fifth article addresses the search for tools which could be used to characterize molecular physical-chemical interactions of radio-elements. The next article addresses chelation as a principle for contamination remediation in the case of intoxication by actinides: the author gives an overview of chemical and biological constraints in the design of these new chelation treatments