Ionizing radiation damage:mechanisms of action and drug strategies
With wide applications of radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer and other diseases and amid the in-creasing concerns about global nuclear safety,the research and development of drugs against radiation damage has become a hot spot.Thanks to its high energy properties,ionizing radiation can not only directly damage cell DNA through targeted effects,but also indirectly affect the cell environment through non-targeted effects,leading to cell dysfunction and even death.In this paper,the mechanism of ionizing radiation damage was analyzed,and the mechanisms of action and clinical applications of four types of anti-radiation drugs,namely,antioxidant,apoptosis inhibitor,cytokine and natural radiation protection agent were discussed.These drugs have huge implications for alleviating the targeted and non-targeted effects caused by ionizing radiation.
ionizing radiationradiation damagemechanism of actionpharmacological strategiesradiation protec-tion