HIGH-LET ION BEAMS ACTIVATE THE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR NF-κB IN HUMAN CELLS

Abstract

Assessment of health risks for astronauts exposed to cosmic radiation during long-term space missions remains an open question. Knowledge of the cellular response to space radiation components can reduce the uncertainty. Apoptosis plays a major role in cancer induction and in acute responses to high radiation doses. In this work, the involvement of the transcription factor Nuclear Factor κB (NF-κB), which can be antiapoptotic, in the response to high LET ion beams was examined by means of a recombinant reporter cell line. Accelerated argon ions (95 MeV/A, LET 232 keV/μm) activate NF-κB dependent gene expression already at low fluences. This could favor the survival of cells with damaged DNA.