Injected Proteins Protect Mice From Lethal Radiation Dose

ananyo writes "Two anti-clotting compounds already approved for use in humans may have a surprising role in treating radiation sickness. Last year's nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan renewed anxiety over the lack of treatments for radiation poisoning. It was long thought that the effects of exposure to high doses of radiation were instantaneous and irreversible, leading to destruction of the gut and loss of bone marrow cells, which damages blood-cell production and the immune system. The two compounds are thrombomodulin (Solulin/Recomodulin), currently approved in Japan to prevent thrombosis, and activated protein C (Xigris). Treating mice with either drug post-exposure led to an eightfold increase in key bone marrow cells needed for the production of white blood cells, and improved the survival rates of mice receiving lethal radiation doses by 40–80% (abstract). And yes, the lead author's name really is Geiger."

Comments

I always wondered if this is feasible

[circletimessquare]

Radiation and life are not mutually exclusive. Heck, there are fungi and bacteria that THRIVE on radiation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiotrophic_fungus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinococcus_radiodurans

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermococcus_gammatolerans

This treatment mentioned here has another key use besides radiation accidents on Earth: long term space travel.

If we are going to Mars, we are going to have to harden the human body to radiation exposure.

Through some combination of genetic treatments gleaned from researching radiation extremophiles, and research like this excellent find on these proteins, the human body should be able to be hardened to long term high levels of radiation. That's excellent news for space travel.

Re:I always wondered if this is feasible

[Chris Burke]

Well, we've known for a while that a lot of cases of acute radiation poisoning in humans don't actually directly damage tissues as badly as you'd think, and the problem comes from our cells' natural suicide response to damage. Normally a really good thing for preventing cancer, but not a good thing when, say, a significant number of liver cells are simultaneously slightly damaged and they each decide to kill themselves "for the good of the whole". Oops. So disabling this response allows people to survive radiation doses that previously would have killed them.

And of course radiation and life are not exclusive... without background radiation, evolution would occur on a vastly slower rate.

So that's what was in those syringes...

[barlevg]

I think I remember Ronald D. Moore saying in the Battlestar Galactica first season commentary that he felt slightly guilty about making up a magic "anti radiation" drug.

Cancer?

[Mack428]

I wonder if this could help people being treated for cancer with radiation?

Re:Cancer?

[chadenright]

If they are going to give some one total body irradiation, they will have to give you a stem cell transplant in order for you to survive.

Or else say they're looking for terrorists and are irradiating you for your own good.

Re:Cancer?

[Beardo the Bearded]

Synthroid is cheap and readily available. If that's the cost for not dying of radiation exposure, that's a pretty cheap price.

Re:Cancer?

[dgatwood]

We already know how to mostly prevent thyroid damage from radiation exposure. The thyroid is unique in that it uses large amounts of iodine in producing certain hormones. Unfortunately, many radioactive elements naturally break down into radioactive iodine (Iodine-131), and when the radioactive form is floating around your bloodstream, the thyroid dutifully absorbs it just as it would the non-radioactive version. That bioaccumulation of Iodine-131 in the thyroid is what causes such a high rate of thyroid cancer after radiation exposure. That's why the standard treatment for radiation exposure includes massive doses of normal iodine. By ensuring that most of the iodine that reaches the thyroid is not radioactive, the damage to the thyroid is dramatically reduced.

stupid Scientists!

[Papa Legba]

Great! Just Great! Now how are we going to defeat the coming mouse revolution now that scientists have taken nuclear weapons off the table!

Don't they think before they hand out things like radiation immunity to something that wants our cheese?

Re:Finally

[Nadaka]

How about RadAway?

Re:Finally

[circletimessquare]

RadOff, apply directly to the forehead

RadOff, apply directly to the forehead

RadOff, apply directly to the forehead