“First time discovery: Low-dose radiation’s effect on Alzheimer’s disease identified by Korean researchers”

2023-05-26 02:31:20

From the left, Haejun Lee and Dr. Younghoon Son

[라포르시안] The Korea Institute of Atomic Energy and Medicine (President Lee Jin-kyung) announced on the 26th that the research team led by Drs. Young-hoon Son and Hae-jun Lee identified the effects of long-term exposure to low-dose radiation on Alzheimer’s disease for the first time in the world.

Low-dose rate low-dose radiation refers to radiation with a low radiation intensity and a small amount of radiation below 100 mSv.

Recently, studies related to various diseases have been continuously conducted, reflecting social interest in the biological effects of low-dose radiation. Along with the increasing trend of degenerative brain diseases that cause dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease due to population aging, the need for research on the relationship between low-dose radiation and Alzheimer’s disease is also emerging.

The research team at the Institute of Medicine focused on the fact that Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by atrophy of the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and cognitive functions. Low-dose radiation was applied to the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s disease for regarding 4 months, and changes in the hippocampus were observed.

As a result of the experiment, mice exposed to low-dose radiation showed a significant decrease in interferon gamma signaling, an inflammation-related factor.

It was confirmed that the regulator (IFITM3) involved in the production of beta-amyloid, a protein known to cause Alzheimer’s disease, which destroys nerve cells, was reduced by 50% compared to mice not exposed to low-dose radiation.

Through this study, the research team identified that low-dose radiation exposure can be involved in the regulation of Alzheimer’s disease-induced brain inflammatory factors and beta-amyloid regulation mechanisms. It also suggested the necessity and possibility of using low-dose radiation for degenerative brain disease research in the future.

The research results were published on May 12 in the online edition of the International Journal of Radiation Biology, an international journal of radiation biology.

Dr. Hae-Jun Lee said, “This study is meaningful in that it is the first time to evaluate the effect of low-dose rate and low-dose radiation exposure on brain health vulnerable groups such as Alzheimer’s disease. plan,” he said.

Reporter Kim Sang-ki [email protected]

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