Evolution of the Health Canada astronaut biodosimetry program with a view toward international harmonization

Biodosimetry of astronaut lymphocyte samples, taken prior to- and post-flight, provides an important in vivo measurement of radiation-induced damage incurred during space flight which can be included in the medical records of the astronauts. Health Canada has been developing their astronaut biodosimetry program since 2007 and since then has analyzed data from 7 astronauts. While multiple cytogenetic endpoints may be analyzed for the astronauts, the Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) assay is considered to be key for detecting long-lasting stable damage. It is believed that this long-lasting damage is most likely to lead to an increased risk to the health of the astronauts during long-term flights (lasting 6 months or more). The complexity of damage that results from protracted, non-homogeneous radiation exposure, like that found in the space environment, requires a detailed scoring schematic to capture as much information as possible. To that end, this paper outlines the efforts to harmonize the manner in which Health Canada's FISH data are recorded to better facilitate the comparison of results with other international biodosimetry programs.