Science Degree Program in China - Radiation Biology

1. Introduction

Radiation Biology is the science that studies the biological effects of ionizing radiation on the collective, individual, tissue, cell, and molecule and so on. The main objects of study include the functions of high-speed charged particle rays like electromagnetic radiation, such as ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma ray; ray particles, such as electron, proton beam, deuterium ray, alpha rays. In addition, there is role of neutron ray.

Radiation biology is an interdisciplinary subject, the main research is effect of radiation on organisms and observation is not homogeneous irradiation after various biological effects and different internal and external factors of biological effects. Involves a wide range of radiation on biological effect of primary reaction and a series of physical, chemical and biological aspects of change, clinical radiobiology and Radiation Oncology Biology is a branch of radiation biology, it is radiation oncology (radiation therapy) of the four pillars of oncology, radiation physics, radiation biology and radiation therapy) one of the. Therefore, the vast majority of countries in the world to carry out the training, qualification examination or promotion of radiation therapy doctors are required to have the content of clinical radiation biology.

2. Clinical Radiation Biology

Clinical radiation biology is on the basis of the basic theory of radiation biology, combining with the research on clinical radiotherapy of tumor and normal tissue radiation biological characteristics and treatment and after which various factors change, as well as in the above understanding based on the combined with radiological health behavior characteristics from the molecular, cellular, tissue until the overall level of experimental study of unique means, to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy methods or means, in order to achieve the goal of improving tumor therapeutic effect and quality of life of patients.

3. Radiation Injuries

Why the rays can kill the cells, which is related to the ionization characteristics of the rays. The effect of ionizing radiation on living organisms is by direct and indirect effects, which causes cell damage or death. At present, it is considered that the target cell of radiation injury is DNA, which is caused by the damage of the ray to DNA, and the cell division is blocked, which leads to the failure of cell division and cell damage.

The results of radiation causing damage to the cells:

1) Apoptosis

2) Abortion and division

3) Progeny cell distortion

4) No change in morphology

5) Limited division to death

6) Survival

4. Cell Survival Curve

According to different doses and the corresponding different survival rate drawn out curve, that is, cell survival curve. This curve can be obtained by in vitro cell culture and in vivo.

The significance of the cell survival curve: the basis of all the studies of radiation biology.

1) Study the quantitative relationship between various cell biological effects and radiation doses

2) Compare the influence of various factors on the radiation sensitivity

3) Observe the changes of cell radiation sensitivity of oxygen and hypoxia

4) Compare the effects of different radiation segmentation schemes 

5) Investigate the effect of various kinds of radiation

6) Compare the effect of radiotherapy alone with radiotherapy comprehensive cure

7) Compare the biological effects of different LET rays

8) Study various kinds of radiation damage

5. Models of Radiation Isoeffect

BED-Biological Equralent Dose is to make tumor center physical dose and other points of dose differences (i.e. dose heterogeneity) and physical dose and biological effect difference (also known as the differences in the biological effects of the double difference results can finally express, unify in radiobiology of the double difference effect, is called BED.