Abstract
Ionizing radiation results in extensive damage to biological systems. The massive amount of ionizing radiation from nuclear accidents, radiation therapy (RT), space exploration, and the nuclear battlefield leads to damage to biological systems. Radiation injuries, such as inflammation, fibrosis, and atrophy, are characterized by genomic instability, apoptosis, necrosis, and oncogenic transformation, mediated by the activation or inhibition of specific signaling pathways. Exposure of tumors or normal cells to different doses of ionizing radiation could lead to the generation of free radical species, which can release signal mediators and lead to harmful effects. Although previous FDA-approved agents effectively mitigate radiation-associated toxicities, their use is limited due to their high cellular toxicities. Preclinical and clinical findings reveal that phytochemicals derived from plants that exhibit potent antioxidant activities efficiently target several signaling pathways. This review examined the prospective roles played by some phytochemicals in altering signal pathways associated with radiation response.
Highlights
In recent years, there has been an increase in public interest within the scientific community regarding the hazardous effects of ionizing radiation
Owing to the promising antioxidant properties of phytochemicals, in this review, we emphasize their critical roles in radioprotection and analyze the signaling pathways involved in this process
Ionizing radiation (IR) is a multi-faceted stress agent that poses a severe threat to the biological system by producing a diverse amount of free radical species, e.g., reactive oxygen species (ROS) and RNS, which induce a variety of responses, such as inflammation, cancer, oxidative stress, and genomic instability [78,79]
Summary
There has been an increase in public interest within the scientific community regarding the hazardous effects of ionizing radiation. Antioxidants 2022, 11, 49 nitrogen species (RNS) which cause DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and the release of signal mediators (ligands like growth factors, cytokines, and hormones) [3]. Together, these molecular players can activate the prominent paracrine and endocrine signaling pathways, leading to target cell damage and radiation-induced bystander effects [4]. Like inflammation, fibrosis, and atrophy, are characterized by genomic instability, apoptosis, necrosis, and oncogenic transformation, which are mediated by the activation or inhibition of specific signaling pathways [6] Both pro-survival pathways (PI3K/Akt, JAK/STAT, etc.) as well as proapoptotic signaling cascades (Wnt and p53, etc.) play a vital role, subsequently leading to radiation-induced responses [6]. Owing to the promising antioxidant properties of phytochemicals, in this review, we emphasize their critical roles in radioprotection and analyze the signaling pathways involved in this process
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