Cumulative Dose from Recurrent CT Scans: Exploring the DNA Damage Response in Human Non-Transformed Cells.

Recurrent computed tomography (CT) examination has become a common diagnostic procedure for several diseases and injuries. Though each singular CT scan exposes individuals at low doses of low linear energy transfer (LET) radiation, the cumulative dose received from recurrent CT scans poses an increasing concern for potential health risks. Here, we evaluated the biological effects of recurrent CT scans on the DNA damage response (DDR) in human fibroblasts and retinal pigment epithelial cells maintained in culture for five months and subjected to four CT scans, one every four weeks.

Factors to Consider for the Correct Use of γH2AX in the Evaluation of DNA Double-Strand Breaks Damage Caused by Ionizing Radiation.

People exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) both for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes is constantly increasing. Since the use of IR involves a risk of harmful effects, such as the DNA DSB induction, an accurate determination of this induced DNA damage and a correct evaluation of the risk-benefit ratio in the clinical field are of key relevance. γH2AX (the phosphorylated form of the histone variant H2AX) is a very early marker of DSBs that can be induced both in physiological conditions, such as in the absence of specific external agents, and by external factors such as smoking, heat, background environmental radiation, and drugs.

HIPK2 Cooperates with KRAS Signaling and Associates with Colorectal Cancer Progression.

Unlabelled: Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) is an evolutionary conserved kinase that has gained attention as a fine tuner of multiple signaling pathways, among which those commonly altered in colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of HIPK2 expression with progression markers and mutational pattern and gain insights into the contribution of HIPK2 activity in colorectal cancer. We evaluated a retrospective cohort of colorectal cancer samples by IHC for HIPK2 expression and by next-generation sequencing (NGS) for the detection of mutations of cancer associated genes.