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Low-dose radiation effects on human health with implications to radioprotection and cancer radiotherapy

This International Conference provided a forum to discuss the frontier research areas of lowand highdose radiation biology and molecular mechanism of radiation effects on cellular and animal systems. It brought together scientists from different fields of radiation sciences and medicine to discuss recent progress in basic and applied radiation biology with Indian radiobiology scientists assembled to present their research findings. Over 200 abstracts were submitted. A significant feature of the conference was the description of investigations being pursued at many research centers and universities in India to examine the role of reactive oxygen radicals in radiation damage and the radioprotective properties of herbal extracts and nutraceuticals many of which derive from the Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of Indian holistic medicines. The rationale of application of these agents used as ‘add-on therapy’ needs to be evaluated, based on modern scientific perspectives. The Indian Society for Radiation Biology (ISRB) provided special opportunities to young radiobiology investigators from India and abroad for oral presentations and provided awards for outstanding presentations. The conference was opened by Prof. K. P. Mishra, president of ISRB, who emphasized the importance of radiobiological research to address public health issues and to establish safety standards relevant to regulate and expand nuclear-based applications for human progress. The keynote lecture was delivered by Dr Pellmar, from the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFFRI) in USA, who noted that there are few drugs currently approved for mitigation of radiation damage and discussed the direction of ongoing research at AFFRI and in the USA to identify new mitigating agents. Dr Pellmar identified Vitamin E analogs as promising drugs that can scavenge free radicals, and a benzyl styryl sulphone that acts to block apoptotic pathways which may reduce radiation effects on the gut and bone marrow. She also discussed 5-androstendiol, as a possible agent which can stimulate proliferation of bone marrow progenitor cells, and genistein, which may potentially intervene at multiple points along the pathways of radiation induced damage. Dr Goyal and his co-workers of Rajasthan University, India, described results which indicated the potential of several herbal drugs screened for their radioprotector properties. In the symposium on cellular and molecular effects of ionizing radiation, Dr Dwarakanath from the Institute for Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Delhi, described studies demonstrating that radiation could potently