Low dose ionizing radiation effects on the immune system
Résumé
Ionizing radiation interacts with the immune system in many ways with a multiplicity that mirrors the
complexity of the immune system itself: namely the need to maintain a delicate balance between different
compartments, cells and soluble factors that work collectively to protect, maintain, and restore tissue function in
the face of severe challenges including radiation damage. The cytotoxic effects of high dose radiation are less
relevant after low dose exposure, where subtle quantitative and functional effects predominate that may go
unnoticed until late after exposure or after a second challenge reveals or exacerbates the effects. For example,
low doses may permanently alter immune fitness and therefore accelerate immune senescence and pave the way
for a wide spectrum of possible pathophysiological events, including early-onset of age-related degenerative
disorders and cancer. By contrast, the so called low dose radiation therapy displays beneficial, anti-inflammatory
and pain relieving properties in chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases. In this review, epidemiological,
clinical and experimental data regarding the effects of low-dose radiation on the homeostasis and functional
integrity of immune cells will be discussed, as will be the role of immune-mediated mechanisms in the systemic
manifestation of localized exposures such as inflammatory reactions. The central conclusion is that ionizing
radiation fundamentally and durably reshapes the immune system. Further, the importance of discovery of
immunological pathways for modifying radiation resilience amongst other research directions in this field is
implied.
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