The challenge for the paradigms heat have guided the radiobiology in the past

Until recently, it has been commonly accepted that the biological consequences following ionizing radiation exposure are attributable to direct DNA damage. However, in the last decade some evidence have emerged to suggest that the classical genetic effects associated with radiation exposure (i.e. mutations, chromosomal aberrations, micronucleus) are not necessarily the result of the direct damage induced in the cellular DNA. These effects have been termed non-targeted and include radiation-induced genomic instability, effects detected after cytoplasmic irradiation and bystander effects. All of them support the hypothesis that important genetic consequences of radiation may arise in cells that in themselves receive no direct radiation exposure at all. The radioinduced damage signals could be transmitted to these cells from those that have been directly irradiated. The non-targeted effects challenge the paradigms that have guided radiobiology in the past and may change our thinking about the early events in the carcinogenic process and in particular about the critical targets for genetic and carcinogenic damage by radiation. These effects could be particularly important at low doses, when non all the cells are directly exposed to an ionizing track. (Author) 45 refs