Radiation Medicine and Protection最新文献

{"title":"Artificial intelligence in radiotherapy: Applications and clinical integration challenges in organ and lesion segmentation, treatment planning, and quality assurance","authors":"Zhiqiang Xuan,&nbsp;Guoping Shan,&nbsp;Shunfei Yu,&nbsp;Zhongjun Lai,&nbsp;Xiaoji Hao,&nbsp;Jiadi Guo,&nbsp;Yiyao Cao,&nbsp;Sijia Yang,&nbsp;Donghang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.08.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.08.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Radiotherapy (RT) represents a core treatment modality in oncology. Its workflow encompasses multiple critical stages: patient immobilization and positioning, imaging simulation, target contouring, treatment planning, quality assurance (QA), and treatment delivery in sequence. Despite technological advances, many steps remain heavily dependent on manual operations, leading to human-induced uncertainties and limited efficiency and standardization. In this context, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in radiation oncology, providing innovative solutions to automate repetitive tasks, enhance clinical decision-making, and personalize treatment strategies. This study presents a comprehensive review of AI applications across three core domains of the RT workflow: (1) automatic segmentation of organs at risk (OARs) and tumor targets, (2) AI-driven treatment planning, including dose prediction and optimization, and (3) AI-assisted quality assurance, encompassing patient-specific, machine-specific, and outcome-based evaluations. For each domain, it presents a summary of representative algorithmic strategies, evaluates their clinical performance, and discusses current limitations. Beyond task-specific automation, this study examines the clinical integration of AI tools throughout the entire RT workflow, including imaging-oriented AI, conversational AI, and large language model (LLM) applications. Furthermore, this study critically analyzes the technical, clinical, and regulatory challenges that impede widespread AI adoption, including limited model generalizability, poor interpretability, data heterogeneity, automation bias, and a lack of standardized validation frameworks. In addition, this study explores the evolving roles of human-AI collaboration, safety considerations, and responsible deployment strategies in clinical practice. Finally, this study outlines future directions for AI in RT, emphasizing the need for multicenter validation, workflow-level evaluations, and interdisciplinary collaboration to translate AI's technical promise into tangible improvements in patient care. The ultimate goal of AI application in RT is to augment the cognitive capabilities of clinicians rather than replace them, thus enabling more precise, efficient, and equitable cancer treatment worldwide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34051,"journal":{"name":"Radiation Medicine and Protection","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 292-301"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149175579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptive preconditioning with low-dose radiation: Translational challenges from radiobiology to radiotherapy","authors":"Jian Tong,&nbsp;Guangming Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.09.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.09.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a paradigm-shifting concept in radiobiology, low-dose radiation preconditioning (LDRP) refers to a biological phenomenon in which prior low-dose exposure induces cellular resistance to subsequent high-dose challenges. While this adaptive response has been widely documented across diverse biological systems, its underlying mechanisms, the determinants of inter-individual variability, and its clinical translational potential remain incompletely elucidated and under active investigation. This review systematically synthesizes the current evidence regarding LDRP, critically evaluating state-of-the-art advances across three interconnected domains: (1) the molecular regulatory architecture governing LDRP-mediated adaptive response; (2) key translational barriers, with a particular focus on dose/dose-rate optimization, optimal temporal intervals, and predictive biomarkers for clinical radiotherapy; and (3) prospective strategies for advancing personalized LDRP application in precision oncology. By integrating up-to-date radiobiological principles and preclinical findings, this review constructs a comprehensive framework to facilitate the bench-to-bedside translation of LDRP research. The clinical implementation of personalized low-dose radiation strategies hinges on interdisciplinary collaboration, prospective clinical validation, and the integration of multi-omics data into predictive algorithms. Collectively, these core efforts will guide the future development and innovation of this emerging radiobiological field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34051,"journal":{"name":"Radiation Medicine and Protection","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 268-277"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149175361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Chinese medical X-ray workers cohort since 1980","authors":"Yeqing Gu,&nbsp;Jinhan Wang,&nbsp;Hongbign Xu,&nbsp;Jing Chen,&nbsp;Qiang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.09.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.09.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the health effects of long-term, low-dose ionizing radiation remains a key challenge in radiation protection. This paper reviews the Chinese medical X-ray workers (CMXW) cohort study. Established in 1980s, the CMXW cohort is the only nationwide cohort of Chinese medical diagnostic X-ray workers with more than four decades of follow-up. The cohort includes over 27,000 exposed workers and a comparable control group, with several decades of follow-up. Through retrospective dose reconstruction and long-term follow-up, studies from this cohort have consistently demonstrated elevated cancer risks among exposed workers, particularly for leukemia and selected solid cancers. Dose–response analyses based on excess relative risk (ERR) and excess absolute risk (EAR) models show a clear linear association between cumulative dose and cancer risk, with estimates broadly consistent with international cohorts, supporting the linear no-threshold model. As the cohort enters a new phase of follow-up, with expanded outcome assessment and the incorporation of biological samples, it offers new opportunities to integrate molecular epidemiology and explore the mechanisms underlying radiation-related diseases. Future research includes refined exposure assessment, comprehensive evaluation of confounding factors, and emerging frameworks such as the exposome, together with multi-omics approaches, to further understand the health effects of low-dose radiation and support evidence-based radiation protection and public health strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34051,"journal":{"name":"Radiation Medicine and Protection","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 278-284"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149175362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental radiation monitoring with Health Canada's Fixed Point Surveillance network","authors":"Chuanlei Liu,&nbsp;Tamara Koletic,&nbsp;Kurt Ungar","doi":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.07.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper reviews the environmental radiation surveillance program within Health Canada's Fixed Point Surveillance network, with a focus on recent advancements in cosmic radiation monitoring. Featuring over eighty sodium iodide spectrometers, the network has monitored nationwide terrestrial and anthropogenic gamma radiation for decades. Recent upgrades integrate cosmic dosimetry and space weather monitoring, transforming the network into a unified system capable of measuring both terrestrial and cosmic natural background radiation and responding to nuclear and space weather emergencies. By utilizing only scintillation instruments, the program establishes a cost-effective framework to fulfill national radiation monitoring and protection mandates, and also contributes to global safety frameworks, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34051,"journal":{"name":"Radiation Medicine and Protection","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 253-262"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149175580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of dosimetric and biological effects based on the linear-quadratic and universal survival curve models for four stereotactic body radiotherapy techniques in central non-small cell lung cancer","authors":"Xin Chen,&nbsp;Guanchen Sha,&nbsp;Bing Xue,&nbsp;Xuemei Fan,&nbsp;Ying Liu,&nbsp;Xin Xie,&nbsp;Liang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.06.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.06.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To compare the dosimetric differences among three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (DCRT), dynamic conformal arc (DCA), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to explore the feasibility of the universal survival curve (USC) model to predict biological performance.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Thirty patients with NSCLC who underwent SBRT treatment were retrospectively selected, and the physical dosimetric parameters of four radiotherapy plans were designed and analyzed. Based on the dose distribution of each plan, the linear-quadratic (LQ) and the USC models were respectively applied to calculate the biologically effective dose and related indicators.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In terms of dosimetry, the VMAT plan demonstrated relatively favorable target conformity (CI: 0.89). The VMAT plan demonstrated superior sparing of high-dose regions in the lung, whereas IMRT was more effective in reducing whol -lung and ipsilateral lung low-dose volumes (<em>V</em>₅ and <em>V</em>₁₀), but with higher monitor units compared to VMAT. In terms of radiobiological predictions, systematic differences were observed between the LQ and USC models, with results from the LQ model generally being higher than those from the USC model. Tumor control probability (TCP) for all plans exceeded 97%, with the VMAT plan showing the highest TCP value and the lowest normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) value among all plans.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>VMAT may offer advantages in improving target conformity, and OAR protection, while IMRT showed no significant differences in most OAR parameters, serving as a suitable alternative. The USC model extends the LQ model into the high-dose region, offering a new tool for SBRT biological assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34051,"journal":{"name":"Radiation Medicine and Protection","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 312-318"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149175578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vitamins as radiosensitizers exploring mechanisms and preliminary cancer treatment prospects","authors":"Yuying Zhou,&nbsp;Baixue Wu,&nbsp;Yu Liang,&nbsp;Xin Cao,&nbsp;Wenbo Zhang,&nbsp;Linjie Zhang,&nbsp;Meng Zhao,&nbsp;Yiwen Zhang,&nbsp;Anqi Zhao,&nbsp;Wenlu Chen,&nbsp;Qing Hou,&nbsp;Ningning Yao,&nbsp;Feng Li,&nbsp;Jianchun Duan,&nbsp;Ning Li,&nbsp;Jianzhong Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Radiotherapy remains a fundamental modality in cancer treatment; however, its clinical efficacy is frequently constrained by heterogeneous tumor radiosensitivity and treatment-associated toxicities. Although the supporting evidence remains largely preliminary, vitamins—as readily accessible micronutrients—have been hypothesized to function as potential radiosensitizers. To address this gap, this review systematically examines the proposed mechanisms through which vitamins may modulate radiotherapy responses, including the modulation of oxidative stress, DNA damage repair, cell cycle regulation, and remodeling of the tumor immune microenvironment. Furthermore, this review integrates existing preclinical data and currently sparse, early-phase clinical evidence, explores key translational challenges including dose optimization and inter-individual variability, and outlines future interdisciplinary research directions, so as to inform the rational design and rigorous evaluation of vitamin-based radiosensitization strategies in precision oncology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34051,"journal":{"name":"Radiation Medicine and Protection","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 285-291"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149175363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trace-level radionuclides in vivo counting experiment (TRACE): 210Pb measurement in the skull","authors":"Yuanyuan Liu,&nbsp;Yu Wang,&nbsp;Xiangpeng Meng,&nbsp;Bin Wu,&nbsp;Lai Zhou,&nbsp;Ao Ju,&nbsp;Jiali Qian,&nbsp;Sirun Gong,&nbsp;Xinxin Chen,&nbsp;Jianping Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.08.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate assessment of health risks from chronic low-dose ionizing radiation is limited by large uncertainties, largely due to the absence of reliable individual exposure data, particularly for long-term internal exposure. <em>In vivo</em> counting provides a direct and non-invasive approach for quantifying trace-level radionuclides retained in the human body and supporting retrospective exposure assessment. The Trace-level RAdionuclides <em>in vivo</em> Counting Experiment (TRACE) is a prospective study aimed at developing experimental methodologies relevant to low-dose radiation exposure. The current focus is on cumulative radon (²²²Rn) exposure through <em>in vivo</em> measurement of ²¹⁰Pb activity in the skull. With a half-life of 22.3 years and bone-seeking behavior, ²¹⁰Pb accumulates in skeletal tissue over decades and can serve as an indicator of long-term radon intake. Practical implementation is challenged by extremely low signal levels, subject-dependent efficiency calibration, and uncertainties in internal dose modeling. To address these issues, TRACE has made progress in three aspects. A small-scale shielding prototype has been constructed to validate background suppression strategies, demonstrating a background reduction of approximately two orders of magnitude. In parallel, a source-free efficiency calibration method using CT-derived computational skull phantoms shows agreement with experimental measurements within 4%. In addition, a respiratory deposition model incorporating anatomical and physiological parameters representative of the Chinese population has been established to improve internal dose assessment. By improving the reliability of retrospective exposure assessment at the individual level, TRACE aims to support health-oriented risk evaluation and efforts to promote health and well-being.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34051,"journal":{"name":"Radiation Medicine and Protection","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 263-267"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149175581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"N-oxalyl-d-phenylalanine ameliorates radiation-induced lung injury by activation of hypoxia inducible factor-mediated pathway","authors":"Ying Yang,&nbsp;Jingwen Guan,&nbsp;Tianen Zhu,&nbsp;Lei Chen,&nbsp;Lang Lang,&nbsp;Qi Wang,&nbsp;Peng Yuan,&nbsp;Shuhan Lu,&nbsp;Juan Diwu","doi":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objective&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;To investigate the radioprotective effects of N-oxalyl-d-phenylalanine (NOFD) against radiation-induced lung injury (RILI), and to determine whether hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-related regulation contributes to its protective action.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Male C57BL/6 mice were randomized into four groups: Control (non-irradiated + normal saline), IR + NS (irradiated + normal saline), IR + NOFD (irradiated + 5 mg/kg NOFD), and IR + Amifostine (irradiated + 5 mg/kg Amifostine) (&lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt; = 5). The &lt;em&gt;in vivo&lt;/em&gt; radioprotective potential of NOFD was evaluated in a murine RILI model exposed to a single dose of 15 Gy thoracic X-ray irradiation with head and abdomen shielded. Body weight was recorded daily and histological damage was examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&amp;E) staining. Oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), were measured using corresponding biochemical assay kits. Inflammatory and profibrotic cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), as well as HIF-related regulatory factors, including hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), prolyl hydroxylase domain protein (PHD), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), were assessed using Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. To investigate the role of HIF-related regulation, HIF1A- and HIF2A-deficient human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cell lines were generated using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA damage, and cell-cycle distribution were evaluated in irradiated wild-type, NOFD-treated wild-type, and HIF-deficient BEAS-2B cells using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. mRNA expression of HIF-related and functionally relevant genes was further examined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;In a murine RILI model, NOFD effectively alleviated IR-induced body weight loss and lung histopathological damage including alveolar destruction and inflammatory infiltration. Compared with the IR + NS group, NOFD treatment increased SOD and CAT activities (2.11- and 3.42-fold, respectively) and reduced MDA level by 67.59%. NOFD also increased PHD levels to 1.84-fold those in the IR + NS group, accompanied by reductions in HIF-1α and VEGF-A levels of 24.59% and 52.00%, respectively. Additionally, NOFD attenuated inflammatory and profibrotic cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, TGF-β1). In irradiated bronchial epithelial cells, NOFD pretreatment significantly reduced γ-H2AX fluorescence intensity by 63.72% and ROS accumulation by 51.46% compared to irradiated wild-type BEAS-2B cells. HIF1A-deficient cells showed greater sensitivity than HIF2A-deficient cells, with γ-H2AX fluorescence intensity and ROS levels reaching 1.29- and 2.34-fold those of irradiated wild-type cells, respectively. NOFD reduced γ-H2AX fluorescenc","PeriodicalId":34051,"journal":{"name":"Radiation Medicine and Protection","volume":"7 5","pages":"Pages 302-311"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149174943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase-mediated protein succinylation as a key regulator of the cellular response to ionizing radiation stress","authors":"Shilei Li,&nbsp;Jingjing Li,&nbsp;Huiying Sun,&nbsp;Ke Zhao,&nbsp;Yuyang Cai,&nbsp;Shensi Xiang,&nbsp;Zhichun Lv,&nbsp;Jingfei Li,&nbsp;Huiying Gao,&nbsp;Xiaoming Yang,&nbsp;Changyan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To elucidate the functional role and underlying mechanisms of α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH) and OGDH-mediated protein succinylation in the response to ionizing radiation (IR) stress.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Human B lymphoblastoid AHH-1 cells were exposed to 2 or 3 Gy of ⁶⁰Co γ-rays depending on the specific assay requirements, with sham-irradiated cells (0 Gy) as control. OGDH knockdown (KD) cell lines were engineered with the CRISPR/Cas9 system, complemented by pharmacological blockade using the specific inhibitor succinyl phosphonate (SPP). The dynamic profiles of OGDH expression and global succinylation landscapes were measured by Western blot. The DNA double-strand break marker phosphorylated H2AX (γH2AX) was monitored with immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. Post-irradiation cellular fate was assessed through CCK-8 proliferation assays and Annexin V/7-AAD flow cytometry for apoptosis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>IR significantly induced OGDH protein expression in AHH-1 cells, which was accompanied by a progressive, time-dependent accumulation of global protein succinylation. This radiation-induced surge in succinylation was effectively blocked by SPP pretreatment. Notably, genetic ablation of OGDH significantly enhanced cellular radiosensitivity compared to the control group, as evidenced by impaired DNA damage repair activity (with γH2AX foci declining to 61.2% of the control level at 24 h post-irradiation, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and exacerbated radiation-induced apoptosis (42.8% in KD cells <em>vs.</em> 23.1% in control cells at 24 h post-irradiation, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). Similarly, pharmacological inhibition of OGDH by SPP also significantly reduced cell proliferation and aggravated apoptotic cell death (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study clarifies the role of OGDH-regulated succinylation in radiation-induced injury and provides a theoretical basis for the development of OGDH-targeted radiosensitization strategies for the prevention and treatment of radiation damage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34051,"journal":{"name":"Radiation Medicine and Protection","volume":"7 4","pages":"Pages 202-210"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148694201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fractionated low-dose ionizing radiation induces senescence of human cardiovascular endothelial cells through the mtROS-ERS-MQC axis","authors":"Yanting Chen,&nbsp;Xin Lan,&nbsp;Guanyou Chen,&nbsp;Xiaoman Zhou,&nbsp;Xudong Wang,&nbsp;Ran Ran,&nbsp;Weixu Huang,&nbsp;Jianming Zou,&nbsp;Huifeng Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.radmp.2026.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate the effects of fractionated low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) on cellular senescence and the expression levels of markers related to the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS)–endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)–mitochondrial quality control (MQC) axis in human cardiovascular endothelial cells (EA.hy926).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>EA.hy926 cells were irradiated five times at dose of 0, 25, 50, and 100 mGy, respectively, and were cultured for an additional 48 h after the fifth X-ray irradiation. The senescence levels were assessed using senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining (SA-β-gal); protein levels associated with senescence, ERS, and MQC were analyzed by Western blot; mtROS, mitochondrial Ca²⁺, mitochondrial membrane potential, and the opening degree of mitochondrial permeability transition pore were evaluated by fluorescence staining.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared with the control group, the percentages of SA-β-gal-positive cells in the 50 mGy × 5 group (1.85 ± 0.09) and the 100 mGy × 5 group (2.60 ± 0.20) were significantly increased (<em>F</em> = 107.50, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). The protein levels of senescence-associated P53, P21 and P16 were all significantly increased in the 100 mGy×5 group (1.31 ± 0.08, 1.54 ± 0.04, 1.68 ± 0.06; <em>F</em> = 26.68, 10.30, 19.23; <em>P</em> &lt; 0. 05). The protein levels of ERS-related markers PERK and GRP78 were both significantly increased in the 100 mGy × 5 group (1.71 ± 0.34, 1.31 ± 0.06; <em>F</em> = 7.81,15.27; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). In contrast to the control group, mtROS levels in the 50 mGy × 5 group (2.03 ± 0.18) and the 100 mGy × 5 group (3.02 ± 0.22) were significantly elevated (<em>F</em> = 117.90, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) and the protein levels of MQC-related PGC-1α, DRP1, Parkin and PINK1 were all significantly increased in the 100 mGy×5 group (<em>F</em> = 5.64–17.48; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Compared with the control group, mitochondrial Ca²⁺ levels in all dose groups were significantly increased (<em>F</em> = 821.40, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). The mitochondrial membrane potential in all dose groups were significantly decreased (<em>F</em> = 58.30, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). The opening degree of mitochondrial permeability transition pore in the 50 mGy×5 and 100 mGy×5 groups was significantly increased (<em>F</em> = 10.58, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). The percentage of SA-β-gal-positive cells was positively correlated with indicators of mtROS, ERS, mitochondrial dysfunction and MQC system dysregulation (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Fractionated LDIR can induce senescence in human cardiovascular endothelial cells, leading to alterations in markers associated with the mtROS-ERS-MQC axis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34051,"journal":{"name":"Radiation Medicine and Protection","volume":"7 4","pages":"Pages 211-218"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148694202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}