Cellular and Molecular Effects of Ionizing Radiation

The ionizing radiation imaging methods play an important role in the early diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In diagnosis and treatment, there is the possibility of radiation-induced damage to the patient despite the radiation dose being kept as low as possible and radiation precautions being taken. Therefore, low and/or high dose radiation applications have effects on cell by activating biochemical and molecular signaling pathways. The frequency of applications involving radiation and the use of technical parameters at higher values have led to increase in patient doses. In the studies reporting radiation damage, apoptosis and formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) occur at the beginning of cellular mechanisms. Apoptosis is an intent to destroy the tumor in radiotherapy applications, but is undesirable in diagnostic low dose applications. Analysis methods at the molecular level are very important to explain the possible early and late effects of radiation on different tissues. Although there is a lot of research into the effects of low dose radiation on the cellular level, what molecules and / or signaling pathways are involved, it is not yet fully understood. In this review, the effects of radiation on different cellular mechanisms have been evaluated based on the current literature