Space Medicine: Why Do Recently Published Papers about Telomere Length Alterations Increase our Uncertainty Rather than Reduce it?

There is a growing interest in examining alterations in telomere length as a reliable biomarker of general health, as well as a marker for predicting later morbidity and mortality. Substantial evidence shows that telomere length is associated with aging; telomere shortening acts as a "counting mechanism" that drives replicative senescence by limiting the mitotic potential of normal (but not malignant) cells. In this Correspondence, we attempt to answer the question of why recently published papers about telomere length alterations increase our uncertainty rather than reduce it. This discussion includes three major research areas regarding telomere length: environmental stressors, aging, and life span. Our review suggests that activation of telomerase activity due to stressors in space might be a double-edged sword with both favorable and unfavorable consequences. The selection of an effect's consequence must clearly elucidate the experimental conditions as well as associated stressors. In this Correspondence, we attempt to answer the question of why recently published papers about telomere length alterations increase our uncertainty rather than reduce it. The selection of an effect's consequence must clearly elucidate the experimental conditions as well as associated stressors. Both positive and negative consequences must be clearly addressed in order to bolster the conclusions, as well as identify future research directions.

Alzheimer 's Disease: Possible Mechanisms Behind Neurohormesis Induced by Exposure to Low Doses of Ionizing Radiation.

In 2016, scientists reported that human exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation (CT scans of the brain) might relieve symptoms of both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson disease (PD). The findings were unbelievable for those who were not familiar with neurohormesis. X-ray stimulation of the patient's adaptive protection systems against neurodegenerative diseases was the mechanism proposed by those authors. Now, some more recent studies performed in the field of neurobiological research confirm that low levels of stress can produce protective responses against the pathogenic processes. This paper outlines possible protective consequences of LDR in preventing the pathogenesis of AD through mechanisms such as restoring the myelin sheath and preventing neurodegeneration caused by oxidative stress. Focal demyelination is frequently reported in the proximity of beta-amyloid plaques within neocortex. Extracellular accumulation of amyloid is among well-characterized pathological changes in AD. It should be noted that LDR has been shown to contribute to the regeneration and functional recovery after transverse peripheral nerve injury (through inducing increased production of VEGF and GAP-43), which advances both the axonal regeneration and myelination. Another mechanism which is possibly involved is preventing neurodegeneration caused by oxidative stress. While high doses can induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, oxidative stress and neuro-inflammation, substantial evidence now indicates that LDR can mitigate tissue damage through antioxidant defenses. Although adult neurogenesis has been reported to be beneficial for the regeneration of nervous system, some studies demonstrate that neurogenesis increases in AD brains. In spite of these reports, cellular therapy is introduced as a promising strategy for AD, and hence, LDR can affect the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. Although such mechanisms are not fully known yet, it is hoped that this paper would foster further investigation into the mechanisms of this phenomenon, which accordingly improves human health.

(210)Po microsphere radiological design for tumor vascular disruption.

The feasibility of disrupting a tumor's vascular structure using (210)Po microspheres is investigated using standard ion and photon absorbed dose methodologies. Calculated absorbed dose profiles for (210)Po alpha particles are sufficient to disrupt a tumor's arteriole structure while minimizing the dose outside the blood vessel wall. (210)Po photons contribute minimal dose to healthy tissue. The requisite activity of (210)Po to facilitate vascular disruption is calculated.

Applicability of health physics lessons learned from the Three Mile Island Unit 2 accident to the Fukushima Daiichi accident.

The TMI-2 and Fukushima Daiichi accidents appear to be dissimilar because they involve different reactor types. However, the health physics related lessons learned from TMI-2 are applicable, and can enhance the Fukushima Daiichi recovery effort.

Angular absorbed dose dependence of internal radiation-generating devices in radiotherapy.

The angular dependence of the absorbed dose from internal radiation-generating devices located within a tumor mass is investigated. Given the systematics of proton and heavy-ion differential scattering cross sections, candidate internal radiation-generating devices will have a relatively constant absorbed dose output beyond a critical angle. Inside this angle, the absorbed dose output is suppressed because elastic and inelastic differential cross sections are peaked in the beam direction. This peaking increases in severity as the particle energy increases and suggests internal radiation-generating devices must have a limited rotation capability to compensate for the depression in the absorbed dose for angles near the beam direction.

Environmental radiation effects from muon and tau colliders and their impact on facility licensing.

Although contemporary accelerators only affect their local radiation environment, muon and tau colliders produce radiation profiles that extend far beyond their site boundaries. These radiation profiles affect the licensing and siting of these planned accelerators. The analysis presented herein suggests that a linear collider concept with the lepton beams collided in air offers a means to limit the environmental radiation effects from these accelerators.

Conservatism in effective dose calculations for accident events involving fuel reprocessing waste tanks.

Conservatism in the calculation of the effective dose following an airborne release from an accident involving a fuel reprocessing waste tank is examined. Within the regulatory constraints at the Hanford Site, deterministic effective dose calculations are conservative by at least an order of magnitude. Deterministic calculations should be used with caution in reaching decisions associated with required safety systems and mitigation philosophy related to the accidental release of airborne radioactive material to the environment.

Standard Model of Particle Physics--a health physics perspective.

The Standard Model of Particle Physics is reviewed with an emphasis on its relationship to the physics supporting the health physics profession. Concepts important to health physics are emphasized and specific applications are presented. The capability of the Standard Model to provide health physics relevant information is illustrated with application of conservation laws to neutron and muon decay and in the calculation of the neutron mean lifetime.

Feasibility of using internal radiation-generating devices in radiotherapy.

The feasibility of using radiation-generating devices located within a tumor mass for radiotherapy applications is investigated. This paper presumes the existence of these devices and develops their requisite characteristics and possible arrangement configurations to permit the selective irradiation of tumors. Calculations are provided for a prototypical proton-generating device.