The effect of low-dose total body irradiation on the immune system

Host institute of the project: “I. Chiricuta” Cancer Institute – Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cluj-Napoca, Republicii str., nr. 34-36, tel/fax: 0264-598361/0264-439260
Project coordinator: Piroska Virag – PhD, principal biologist
Internal collaborators: Valentin Ioan Cernea – Lecturer, PhD, MD; Ioana Brie – MD; Maria Perde-Schrepler - MD; Olga Soritau – MD; Eva Fischer-Fodor – PhD, principal chemist; Barbos Otilia – young researcher.
Partner institute: “Frederic Joliot-Curie” National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene Budapest, Hungary, Anna str., nr. 5, tel/fax: 482-2010/482-2010
Project enrollment period: 2008-2009
Budjet: 133 792 lei
Financing (romanian side): National Authority for Scientific Research
Time schedule:
Year 2008: Phase I. Evaluation of the effects of low-dose total-body irradiation on populations and subpopulations of lymphocytes in animals. Study of the effects of low-doses on DNA in human lymphocytes with comet and micronucleus assays.
Year 2009: Phase II. Evaluation of the apoptosis and secretion of some cytokines in patients subjected to low-dose irradiations. Study of the incidence of carcinogenesis, as a consequence of total body low-dose irradiation and determination of tumor growth parameters. Monitoring the correlation between animal and human results.
Obtained results:
As a principal result of this project, the results and experience of the Hungarian collaborators in the study of low-dose irradiations in animal models has been completed with human data, provided by the Romanian side. The results obtained in humans have been published in two publications in specialty papers: P. Virag, I. Brie, I. D. Postescu, M. Perde-Schrepler, E. Fischer-Fodor, O. Soritau, A. Irimie and V. I. Cernea. Comparative study of two evaluation methods for the genotoxic effects of environmental heavy metals on normal cells, Toxicol. Ind. Health, 25 (4-5), 2009, 253-258 si P. Virag, E.Fischer-Fodor, I. Brie, M. Perde-Schrepler, V. Foris, O. Barbos, I. D. Postescu and V. I. Cernea. Immediate cytogenetic effects of computed tomography on leukocytes, Biology and Therapy of Cancer Cell, Vol. 1 (1), 2009: 73-80. Considering the similitude of the research themes, this project may represent the basis of large-scale research collaboration in the future between the two institutions.