Abstract For a better assessment of radiation risk in space, an understanding of the responses of human cells, especially the epithelial cells, to low- and high-LET radiation is essential. In our laboratory, we have successfully developed techniques to study the neoplastic transformation of two human epithelial cell systems by ionizing radiation. These cell systems are human mammary epithelial cells (H184B5) and human epidermal keratinocytes (HEK). Both cell lines are immortal, anchorage dependent for growth, and nontumorigenic in athymic nude mice. Neoplastic transformation was achieved by irradiating cells successively. Our results showed that radiogenic cell transformation is a multistep process and that a single exposure of ionizing radiation can cause only one step of transformation. It requires, therefore, multihits to make human epithelial cells fully tumorigenic. Using a simple karyotyping method, we did chromosome analysis with cells cloned at various stages of transformation. We found no consistent large terminal deletion of chromosomes in radiation-induced transformants. Some changes of total number of chromosomes, however, were observed in the transformed cells. These transformants provide an unique opportunity for further genetic studies at a molecular level.
Chromosomal changes in cultured human epithelial cells transformed by low- and high-let radiation
Advances in Space Research ; 12 , 2-3 ; 127-136
1991-01-01
10 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Radiation-Induced Chromosomal Instability in Human Mammary Epithelial Cells
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1995
|Radiation-Induced Chromosomal Instability in Human Mammary Epithelial Cells
Online Contents | 1996
|Cellular and Molecular Alterations in Human Epithelial Cells Transformed by High LET Radiation
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1995
|Cellular and Molecular Alterations in Human Epithelial Cells Transformed by High LET Radiation
Online Contents | 1996
|Radiation Induced Chromosomal Loss and Nondisjunction in Human Cultured Fibroblasts
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1995
|