Modeling cell response to low doses of photon irradiation: Part 2--application to radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations in human carcinoma cells.

The biological phenomena observed at low doses of ionizing radiation (adaptive response, bystander effects, genomic instability, etc.) are still not well understood. While at high irradiation doses, cellular death may be directly linked to DNA damage, at low doses, other cellular structures may be involved in what are known as non-(DNA)-targeted effects.

Modeling cell response to low doses of photon irradiation--Part 1: on the origin of fluctuations.

Intra- and inter-individual variability is a well-known aspect of biological responses of cells observed at low doses of radiation, whichever the phenomenon considered (adaptive response, bystander effects, genomic instability, etc.). There is growing evidence that low-dose phenomena are related to cell mechanisms other than DNA damage and misrepair, meaning that other cellular structures may play a crucial role.