Cellular Responses to DNA Damage — a Personal Account

Abstract

The field or Radiation Biology has seen in the last fifty years dramatic developments in its focus and a continuous movement forward internationally. Research topics and discoveries once thought to represent the interests of a highly specialized group of scientists are now main stream and attract an ever increasing number of researchers and clinicians active in areas as diverse as immunology, cancer, and radiation oncology -just to name a few. Initiated in the years during and just after the Second World War when the devastating long-term effects of the weapons of mass destruction used to end the war were just beginning to become apparent, the field of radiation biology has been transformed to a central player not only in radiation protection but also in radiation oncology and basic biology. By combining the expertise of Physicists, Chemists, Biologists and Physicians, the field has generated high standards for quantitative research and performed the seminal experiments that ultimately led to the characterization of the cell cycle and the checkpoint response — topics recently honored with the Nobel price. The field has moved from its initial focus in understanding and protecting against weapons of mass destruction to the now central role it plays in basic research, the diagnosis and treatment of disease, preservation of food and other perishables and even in recent times to the protection from biological terrorism. Truly, this is a story of how to beat swords into ploughshares. It is relatively common for fast developing fields of science to go through painful transitions in the process of transformation and adaptation to the ever-increasing demands of modern science, and Radiation Biology is not an exception. With a few years lag to North America, Radiation Biology Institutions are in the middle of a crisis in Germany and see their numbers decreasing at an alarming rate. Only targeted, active and sustained support will ensure maintenance of expertise in the country and will enable the development of competitive groups that will make their mark in modern biology and medicine internationally. The required reorientation into molecular/mechanistic studies and the needed expansion into translational investigations in the field of cancer research and treatment will only be successful if the field becomes revitalized. Here, I provide a brief outline of concepts and ideas that determine the future direction of basic research at the Institute of Medical Radiation Biology, Medical School University Duisburg-Essen, together with an account of past work that led to the formulation of these ideas.