Epigenetic effects on radiosensitivity: the extracellular matrix and growth factors

This brief article discusses a previous study which shows that when radiation survival of bovine aortic endothelial cells is assayed in dishes precoated with autologous natural basement membrane-like extracellular matrix (ECM), a survival advantage is observed when compared with cells plated on plastic or cells treated with biologically unrelated HR9-basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)/ECM. Two points of interest are raised. The first is in the context of normal tissue tolerance to radiation. The second is in the context of prediction of tumour radiocurability. (UK)