The role of cell junctions in radiation-induced injury to normal tissue

Abstract

Normal tissue faces the risk of ionizing radiation (IR) exposure during radiological examination or radiotherapy, and growing evidence indicates an elevated risk of radiation-induced normal tissue dysfunction via disrupted cell junctions. However, the mechanisms underlying this type of damage are not well understood. IR may induce tissue inflammation, but there is a paucity of evidence to support this theory. In this review, we summarize the literature to illustrate the role of cell junctions in radiation-induced normal tissue injury. Targeting cell junction proteins after IR may lead to new methods of normal tissue protection during radiotherapy or radiological examination.