THE PROBLEM
The Department of Defense is interested in protecting against both acute and delayed injuries of radiation exposure. Professor Regina Day, PhD, researches mechanisms of radiation-induced acute hematopoietic injury and delayed lung injury. The mechanisms of radiation countermeasures are investigated in cell culture and in two animal models of radiation injury.
OUR APPROACH
We utilize cultures of normal (non-immortalized, untransformed) human cells to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which radiation cause cell damage and apply our findings to in vivo murine and swine models of radiation injury. Injuries to the hematopoietic system and lung appear to have differing mechanisms of injury, reflected in the time course radiation effects as well as cellular events. We are also investigating two radiation countermeasures, captopril, an inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme, and genistein, a soy isoflavone, to determine their efficacy and mechanisms of action. The techniques we use for our research include PCR, western blotting, flow cytometry, Immunohistochemistry, ELISA, histology, microscopy, and cell culture.