ADAPTIVE RESPONSE TO IONIZING-RADIATION IN MAMMALIAN-CELLS - A REVIEW

An overview is presented on the current status of the adaptive respons e to ionizing radiation in mammalian cells. The results of numerous st udies indicate that cells can become refractory to the detrimental eff ect of ionizing radiation when previously exposed to a low, adapting r adiation dose. Most authors assume that the adapting dose induces an e rror-free DNA repair mechanism, however, no proof of this hypothesis e xists. Contradictory results have been reported on the conditions unde r which the phenomenon can be induced and the question of the heteroge neity of the human population with respect to the adaptive response re mains intriguingly open. Thus, more experimental work is necessary in order to establish the mechanism and the generality of the phenomenon.