The evolution of radiobiology through the work of women scientists: the work of Christiane Ferradini.

PURPOSE: Pay tribute to Christiane Ferradini and highlight the importance of her work as a scientist. CONCLUSIONS: Christiane Ferradini was born in 1924 in the south of France. She graduated from the Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France. In 1947, she joined the Curie Laboratory of the Radium Institute (which was then under the leadership of Madame Irène Joliot-Curie) to pursue her doctoral research. After her defence in 1955, she commenced her journey dedicated to the advancement of science. She became an exceptional teacher. She led a research group that contributed, through many fruitful collaborations, to the opening of a new chapter in radiation biology and medicine. Together they shed light on free radical formation and their reactions with biomolecules. Christiane published a total of 190 scientific articles and 9 books. She died in 2002.

Elena Alexandrovna Timofeeva-Resovskaya at the forefront of radiobiology in the XX century.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to show the outstanding contribution of Elena Alexandrovna Timofeeva-Resovskaya (1898-1973) to the development of radiobiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the author's memoirs and materials from the personal archive, as well as literary and electronic sources. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: For the first time the autobiography of Elena A. Timofeeva-Resovskaya and the periods of her scientific activity were revealed. We demonstrated the primary role of Elena A. Timofeeva-Resovskaya in the research of aquatic ecosystems. The results of her research turned out to be important both for solving the problems of radioactive contamination of territories and for the development of modern radioecology. Throughout her life, she worked with her husband Nikolay V. Timofeev-Resovsky (1900-1981), a great scientist and prominent scientific enlightener. There was no purpose to describe the life of Timofeev-Resovskies family, full of exciting events, but it was not possible to avoid it. For young women in science, Elena A. Timofeeva-Resovskaya can provide an example of a successful scientific career even in turbulent times.

Celebrating 60 Years of Accomplishments of the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute1.

Chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1961, the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) is a Joint Department of Defense (DoD) entity with the mission of carrying out the Medical Radiological Defense Research Program in support of our military forces around the globe. In the last 60 years, the investigators at AFRRI have conducted exploratory and developmental research with broad application to the field of radiation sciences. As the only DoD facility dedicated to radiation research, AFRRI's Medical Radiobiology Advisory Team provides deployable medical and radiobiological subject matter expertise, advising commanders in the response to a U.S. nuclear weapon incident and other nuclear or radiological material incidents. AFRRI received the DoD Joint Meritorious Unit Award on February 17, 2004, for its exceptionally meritorious achievements from September 11, 2001 to June 20, 2003, in response to acts of terrorism and nuclear/radiological threats at home and abroad. In August 2009, the American Nuclear Society designated the institute a nuclear historic landmark as the U.S.'s primary source of medical nuclear and radiological research, preparedness and training. Since then, research has continued, and core areas of study include prevention, assessment and treatment of radiological injuries that may occur from exposure to a wide range of doses (low to high). AFRRI collaborates with other government entities, academic institutions, civilian laboratories and other countries to research the biological effects of ionizing radiation. Notable early research contributions were the establishment of dose limits for major acute radiation syndromes in primates, applicable to human exposures, followed by the subsequent evolution of radiobiology concepts, particularly the importance of immune collapse and combined injury. In this century, the program has been essential in the development and validation of prophylactic and therapeutic drugs, such as Amifostine, Neupogen®, Neulasta®, Nplate® and Leukine®, all of which are used to prevent and treat radiation injuries. Moreover, AFRRI has helped develop rapid, high-precision, biodosimetry tools ranging from novel assays to software decision support. New drug candidates and biological dose assessment technologies are currently being developed. Such efforts are supported by unique and unmatched radiation sources and generators that allow for comprehensive analyses across the various types and qualities of radiation. These include but are not limited to both 60Co facilities, a TRIGA® reactor providing variable mixed neutron and γ-ray fields, a clinical linear accelerator, and a small animal radiation research platform with low-energy photons. There are five major research areas at AFRRI that encompass the prevention, assessment and treatment of injuries resulting from the effects of ionizing radiation: 1. biodosimetry; 2. low-level and low-dose-rate radiation; 3. internal contamination and metal toxicity; 4. radiation combined injury; and 5. radiation medical countermeasures. These research areas are bolstered by an educational component to broadcast and increase awareness of the medical effects of ionizing radiation, in the mass-casualty scenario after a nuclear detonation or radiological accidents. This work provides a description of the military medical operations as well as the radiation facilities and capabilities present at AFRRI, followed by a review and discussion of each of the research areas.

STATE INSTITUTION «NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER FOR RADIATION MEDICINE OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES OF UKRAINE¼ - RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND SCIENTIFIC ADVANCE IN 2019. / REZUL'TATY ROBOTY DU «NATsIONAL'NYI NAUKOVYI TsENTR RADIATsIINOÏ MEDYTsYNY AKADEMIÏ MEDYChNYKh NAUK UKRAÏNY¼ U 2019 ROTsI.

Research activities and scientific advance achieved in 2019 at the State Institution «National Research Center forRadiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine¼ (NRCRM) concerning medical problemsof the Chornobyl disaster, radiation medicine, radiobiology, radiation hygiene and epidemiology in collaborationwith the WHO network of medical preparedness and assistance in radiation accidents are outlined in the annualreport. The report presents the results of fundamental and applied research works of the study of radiation effectsand health effects of the Chornobyl accident.The report also shows the results of scientific-organizational and health care work, staff training.The Scientific Council meeting of NAMS approved the NRCRM Annual Report.

Programmed Cell Death: Historical Notes from Russia.

The investigation of cell death mechanisms is one of the fastest growing areas of modern biomedicine. A particular interest in this research topic arose in 1972 after publication of an article by Kerr, Wyllie, and Currie, in which apoptosis, one of the types of cell death, was first considered as a basic biological phenomenon regulating tissue homeostasis. Several Russian groups involved in the investigation of the mechanisms of radiation-induced cell death have drawn attention to the similarity between these two mechanisms. Unfortunately, these studies have been for a long time inaccessible to the international scientific community. These introductory remarks attempt to restore the chain of events that have taken place during the past 50 years.

The 20th Gray lecture 2019: health and heavy ions.

OBJECTIVE: Particle radiobiology has contributed new understanding of radiation safety and underlying mechanisms of action to radiation oncology for the treatment of cancer, and to planning of radiation protection for space travel. This manuscript will highlight the significance of precise physical and biologically effective dosimetry to this translational research for the benefit of human health.This review provides a brief snapshot of the evolving scientific basis for, and the complex current global status, and remaining challenges of hadron therapy for the treatment of cancer. The need for particle radiobiology for risk planning in return missions to the Moon, and exploratory deep-space missions to Mars and beyond are also discussed. METHODS: Key lessons learned are summarized from an impressive collective literature published by an international cadre of multidisciplinary experts in particle physics, radiation chemistry, medical physics of imaging and treatment planning, molecular, cellular, tissue radiobiology, biology of microgravity and other stressors, theoretical modeling of biophysical data, and clinical results with accelerator-produced particle beams. RESULTS: Research pioneers, many of whom were Nobel laureates, led the world in the discovery of ionizing radiations originating from the Earth and the Cosmos. Six radiation pioneers led the way to hadron therapy and the study of charged particles encountered in outer space travel. Worldwide about 250,000 patients have been treated for cancer, or other lesions such as arteriovenous malformations in the brain between 1954 and 2019 with charged particle radiotherapy, also known as hadron therapy. The majority of these patients (213,000) were treated with proton beams, but approximately 32,000 were treated with carbon ion radiotherapy. There are 3500 patients who have been treated with helium, pions, neon or other ions. There are currently 82 facilities operating to provide ion beam clinical treatments. Of these, only 13 facilities located in Asia and Europe are providing carbon ion beams for preclinical, clinical, and space research. There are also numerous particle physics accelerators worldwide capable of producing ion beams for research, but not currently focused on treating patients with ion beam therapy but are potentially available for preclinical and space research. Approximately, more than 550 individuals have traveled into Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) and beyond and returned to Earth. CONCLUSION: Charged particle therapy with controlled beams of protons and carbon ions have significantly impacted targeted cancer therapy, eradicated tumors while sparing normal tissue toxicities, and reduced human suffering. These modalities still require further optimization and technical refinements to reduce cost but should be made available to everyone in need worldwide. The exploration of our Universe in space travel poses the potential risk of exposure to uncontrolled charged particles. However, approaches to shield and provide countermeasures to these potential radiation hazards in LEO have allowed an amazing number of discoveries currently without significant life-threatening medical consequences. More basic research with components of the Galactic Cosmic Radiation field are still required to assure safety involving space radiations and combined stressors with microgravity for exploratory deep space travel. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: The collective knowledge garnered from the wealth of available published evidence obtained prior to particle radiation therapy, or to space flight, and the additional data gleaned from implementing both endeavors has provided many opportunities for heavy ions to promote human health.

Peggy Louise Olive: A journey through the 'comet' and beyond.

Peggy Olive from the British Columbia Cancer Research Center in Canada is credited with the development of a method to measure DNA damage in individual cells based on the technique of microelectrophoresis that she named the 'comet assay'; a well-accepted method to measure DNA damage, hypoxia and apoptosis. A multifaceted person and an ardent campaigner of environmental issues, Peggy has contributed significantly to several areas of radiobiology related to the treatment of cancer, her expertise being tumor hypoxia and gamma H2AX foci as a biomarker in radiotherapy.

EXTERNAL DOSE RATE MONITORING IN FINLAND: HISTORY, EXPERIENCES AND A GLIMPSE AT THE FUTURE.

Finland has a long history in monitoring external radiation. Regular monitoring began in the early 1960s when the first networks measuring exposure rates were established. Today the nation-wide network is fully automatic and consists of about 260 stations with Geiger-Muller (GM) tubes. Some 25 stations also have a LaBr3 spectrometer. In this article the authors describe the history, experiences and major development stages of the Finnish dose rate monitoring arrangements and also have a brief look at the possible future.

Sunlight radiation as a villain and hero: 60 years of illuminating research.

In the 60 years since the inaugural edition of the International Journal of Radiation Biology, much of our understanding of the biological effects of solar radiation has changed. Earlier in the century, sunlight played a 'hero's' role in reducing disabling rickets, while today debate still continues on the amount of sun required before exposure reveals the 'villainous' side of solar radiation. Although knowledge of the ultra violet (UV) component of sunlight as a carcinogen has become widespread, skin cancer rates are still rising yearly. Twentieth century attitudes have seen an about-face in the field of dermatological sun protection, with sunscreens changing from recipes designed to promote a 'healthy tan' to formulations proven to block both ultraviolet B (UVB) and more recently, ultraviolet A (UVA), to minimize premature sun-aging and skin cancer risk. In the early 1960s, DNA was first found to exist within mitochondria, while recently the connections between mitochondrial changes and UV radiation exposure have been expanded. Sixty years ago, understanding of the endocrine systems of mammals was enjoying its infancy. Early discoveries that light, particularly natural light, could have profound effects on functions such as sleep patterns and hormonal balance were made, while today more advanced knowledge has led to lighting improvements having pronounced effects on human wellbeing. Photosensitization 60 years ago was a health concern for both humans and their domestic animals, while today chemically engineered photosensitizing drugs can be administered along with highly directed light to pinpoint delivery targets for drug action. Life on earth is inextricably bound up with solar radiation. This article attempts to outline many of the ways in which our opinions about solar radiation have changed since the journal's inception.

Radiobiology at the forefront: Hanns Langendorff and two of his disciples.

Hanns Langendorff (1902-1974) was an eminent radiobiologist and a visionary, who not only helped found the field, but also made significant scientific contributions. He was a member of the first editorial board of IJRB and actually published a paper in its first issue about the radio-protector 5-hydroxytryptamine. Langendorff started working in the field of radiobiology in 1929 and became director of the 'Radiologisches Institut' of Freiburg University in 1936. His studies impressively show the development of radiobiology over decades in areas such as radiation-induced cell death at various stages of development, as well as radiosensitivity of sea urchin, yeast and mammals. Using mice, Langendorff made many early discoveries about spermatogenesis, hematopoiesis, prenatal development, chromosomal damage and metabolic pathways after exposures to X-rays and neutrons. He also investigated aspects of target theory and dosimetry and developed personal dosimeters using films. After the atomic bomb catastrophes in Japan, Langendorff and his collaborators soon began research in mice related to acute radiation sickness and stimulated the development of radioprotectors by studying their mechanisms of action associated with cell death, as well as cellular and metabolic changes involved. Langendorff also trained a cadre of young scientists who advanced the field and brought it to its golden age in the seventies and the eighties. Research activities of two of his disciples are reviewed: Ulrich Hagen and the author. Both made significant contributions: Hagen mainly studying DNA-damage and repair in vitro as well in cells and the author investigating metabolic processes, cellular and chromosomal damage, prenatal effects, genomic instability, individual radio-sensitivity and their connections to cancer therapy.

Big data in radiation biology and epidemiology; an overview of the historical and contemporary landscape of data and biomaterial archives.

Over the past 60 years a great number of very large datasets have been generated from the experimental exposure of animals to external radiation and internal contamination. This accumulation of 'big data' has been matched by increasingly large epidemiological studies from accidental and occupational radiation exposure, and from plants, humans and other animals affected by environmental contamination. We review the creation, sustainability and reuse of this legacy data, and discuss the importance of Open data and biomaterial archives for contemporary radiobiological sciences, radioecology and epidemiology. We find evidence for the ongoing utility of legacy datasets and biological materials, but that the availability of these resources depends on uncoordinated, often institutional, initiatives to curate and archive them. The importance of open data from contemporary experiments and studies is also very clear, and yet there are few stable platforms for their preservation, sharing, and reuse. We discuss the development of the ERA and STORE data sharing platforms for the scientific community, and their contribution to FAIR sharing of data. The contribution of funding agency and journal policies to the support of data sharing is critical for the maximum utilisation and reproducibility of publicly funded research, but this needs to be matched by training in data management and cultural changes in the attitudes of investigators to ensure the sustainability of the data and biomaterial commons.