Treatment Of Radiation-induced Injury Research Articles

Formulations of traditional Chinese medicine for the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced injury

The likelihood of radiation-induced injury (RII) has increased. Currently, the chemical drugs used to prevent and control radiation damage have some drawbacks, such as high toxicity, which can also have other side effects on the body. However, many traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) monomers, single TCM, and compound TCM preparations have shown good therapeutic effects against radiation damage with increased safety and minimal adverse reactions. Therefore, new anti-RII TCMs must be explored and developed. This study reviewed the TCM preparations for the prevention and treatment of RII and their mechanisms of action to provide a better theoretical basis for research on the prevention and treatment of RII. TCM is an efficient, safe, and convenient strategy for the prevention and treatment of RII. Graphical abstract: http://links.lww.com/AHM/A127.

Use of Growth Factors and Cytokines to Treat Injuries Resulting from a Radiation Public Health Emergency.

In response to concerns over possible radiological or nuclear incidents, the Radiation and Nuclear Countermeasures Program within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) was tasked by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support development of medical countermeasures (MCM) to treat the acute and delayed injuries that can result from radiation exposure. To date, the only three drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of acute radiation syndrome are growth factors targeting granulocyte (Neupogen® or Neulasta®) or granulocyte and macrophage (Leukine®) hematopoietic cell lineages. Although these are currently stockpiled for deployment in response to a mass casualty scenario, these growth factors will likely be administered in a scarce-resources environment and availability may be limited. Therefore, there is growing interest in understanding the role that these growth factors play in mitigating radiation damage, to optimize their use and maximize the number of people who can be treated. For these reasons, the NIAID and the Radiation Injury Treatment Network organized a workshop to explore the use of growth factors and other cytokines as MCMs in the treatment of radiation-induced injuries. Subject matter experts from government, industry and academia gathered at this workshop to discuss the concept of operations, triage and treatment, administration to diverse civilian populations, growth factors under development for radiation indications, and how the practice of medicine can inform other potential approaches.

Doctors' Knowledge of Preparedness and Response to Nuclear Power Plant Emergencies

TO THE EDITOR: In the September 2011 issue of JNM, Dauer et al. presented current concepts on health risks from nuclear power plant accidents ([1][1]). The authors emphasized that education about medical preparedness has a direct association with the treatment of radiation-induced injuries and with