More about the science
Potential radiation exposure scenarios may include the detonation of nuclear weapons, terrorist attacks on nuclear reactors, or the dispersal of radioactive substances with the use of conventional explosives, i.e. “dirty bombs,” that could result in mass casualties.
While retrospective dose estimates provide information about average risks, it is known from studies of higher-dose radiotherapy that there is considerable person-to-person variability in response to a given radiation dose. One of the goals of center is to address the significance of interindividual radiation sensitivity in terms of the aftermath of a large-scale radiological event and to assess whether the approaches used at clinical doses can be translated to lower doses or whether different approaches will be needed.
The three areas identified by the center as having the highest potential for high-throughput biodosimetry are cytogenetics, functional genomics, and metabolomics. Each area has its own project, supported by scientific cores, a fabrication core, and a product development core.
Our Biodesign research team works on devices that can rapidly distinguish individuals who need therapy from those who do not, and that can measure internal and external exposure not just after exposure, but also during treatment and recovery stages. This will involve development of minimally-invasive biodosimetry devices and techniques, biomarker assays, and other automated biology-based, high-throughput diagnostic systems.
The goal of our approach is to develop a tiny, miniaturized cartridge to provide rapid, frequent testing that is also sensitive enough to assess the biological impact of radiation for a set of specific genes that indicate radiation exposure. The work includes designing an integrated self-containing blood sample preparation and gene expression profiling device and that will be portable and suitable for mass production.
Our collaborators at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) are working with long-time radiation biology scientists at Harvard and Columbia universities to specify sets of genes that have both immediate and long-lasting responses to radiation in circulating blood cells.
By studying the gene expression response of blood cells to radiation in a variety of therapeutic exposures that patients experience during medical imaging, radiation therapy, and to more extreme radiation it is possible to develop a panel of tests, which can be carried out on a blood sample that will indicate the extent of radiation exposure a person received during a radiation release. This will allow rapid determination of the appropriate types of treatment for those at risk for exposure.
Additional components coordinated by others in the consortium include several methodologies and devices to accurately and rapidly detect radiation from whole body exposure to minute changes in cells, including robotic methods to measure damage to DNA and cells, biochips to monitor gene expression levels, and signature identification of metabolites found in sweat and urine.
