Cancers, Vol. 9, Pages 91: Complex DNA Damage: A Route to Radiation-Induced Genomic Instability and Carcinogenesis

Cancers, Vol. 9, Pages 91: Complex DNA Damage: A Route to Radiation-Induced Genomic Instability and Carcinogenesis Cancers doi: 10.3390/cancers9070091 Authors: Ifigeneia Mavragani Zacharenia Nikitaki Maria Souli Asef Aziz Somaira Nowsheen Khaled Aziz Emmy Rogakou Alexandros Georgakilas Cellular effects of ionizing radiation (IR) are of great variety and level, but they are mainly damaging since radiation can perturb all important components of the cell, from the membrane to the nucleus, due to alteration of different biological molecules ranging from lipids to proteins or DNA. Regarding DNA damage, which is the main focus of this review, as well as its repair, all current knowledge indicates that IR-induced DNA damage is always more complex than the corresponding endogenous damage resulting from endogenous oxidative stress. Specifically, it is expected that IR will create clusters of damage comprised of a diversity of DNA lesions like double strand breaks (DSBs), single strand breaks (SSBs) and base lesions within a short DNA region of up to 15–20 bp. Recent data from our groups and others support two main notions, that these damaged clusters are: (1) repair resistant, increasing genomic instability (GI) and malignant transformation and (2) can be considered as persistent “danger” signals promoting chronic inflammation and immune response, causing detrimental effects to the organism (like radiation toxicity). Last but not least, the paradigm shift ...
Source: Cancers - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research