DNA damage response of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to high-LET neutron irradiation
Date
2021-10
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nature
Abstract
The radiosensitivity of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to neutron radiation remains largely underexplored, notwithstanding their potential role as target cells for radiation-induced leukemogenesis. New insights are required for radiation protection purposes, particularly for aviation, space missions, nuclear accidents and even particle therapy. In this study, HSPCs (CD34+CD38+ cells) were isolated from umbilical cord blood and irradiated with 60Co γ-rays (photons) and high energy p(66)/Be(40) neutrons. At 2 h post-irradiation, a significantly higher number of 1.28 ± 0.12 γ-H2AX foci/cell was observed after 0.5 Gy neutrons compared to 0.84 ± 0.14 foci/cell for photons, but this decreased to similar levels for both radiation qualities after 18 h. However, a significant difference in late apoptosis was observed with Annexin-V+/PI+ assay between photon and neutron irradiation at 18 h, 43.17 ± 6.10% versus 55.55 ± 4.87%, respectively. A significant increase in MN frequency was observed after both 0.5 and 1 Gy neutron irradiation compared to photons illustrating higher levels of neutron-induced cytogenetic damage, while there was no difference in the nuclear division index between both radiation qualities. The results point towards a higher induction of DNA damage after neutron irradiation in HSPCs followed by error-prone DNA repair, which contributes to genomic instability and a higher risk of leukemogenesis.
Description
CITATION: Engelbrecht, M. et al. 2021. DNA damage response of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to high-LET neutron irradiation. Scientific Reports, 11:20854, doi:10.1038/s41598-021-00229-2.
The original publication is available at https://www.nature.com
The original publication is available at https://www.nature.com
Keywords
DNA damage, Stem cells -- Effect of radiation on, Neutron radiography, Leukemia -- Etiology, Neutron irradiation
Citation
Engelbrecht, M. et al. 2021. DNA damage response of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to high-LET neutron irradiation. Scientific Reports, 11:20854, doi:10.1038/s41598-021-00229-2.