Radiation proteomics: a brief overview

Acute biological effects caused by the exposure to high doses of radiation, either ionizing or nonionizing, are relatively well-known but the delayed effects, occurring decades after exposure, are difficult to predict. The knowledge of the acute and delayed effects of the low doses of ionizing radiation (e.g. bystander effect) or nonionizing radiation (e.g. radiation emitted by wireless communication devices) is not yet reliably established. Often the acute effects of low doses are small and difficult to discover and replicate in scientific studies. Chronic effects of prolonged exposures to low-dose radiation for decades are virtually unknown and often not possible to predict on the basis of the knowledge gained from acute exposures to high doses of radiation. Physiological significance of the biological effects induced by low doses of radiation is not known. The same lack of predictability of outcomes applies to the delayed effects of high-dose radiation exposures. Proteomics, supplemented with other "omics" techniques, might be the best way forward to find out the target molecules of radiation, the biomarkers of radiation exposure and the physiological and health significance of the acute and delayed biological effects caused by the exposures to high- and low-dose radiation. However, the currently available database of radiation effects on proteomes is far too small to be useful in formulation of new hypotheses concerning health consequences of radiation exposures.