Radon RESEARCH Series
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Hunting down the radon-induced lung cancer genetic mutation signature
Alpha particle radiation from radon gas has the ability to ionize ( steal electrons from ) DNA in a manner that produces complex , highly clustered damage to our DNA that our cells are not able to repair quickly or accurately .
Dose-for-dose alpha particle radiation is a lot more mutation and cancer-causing relative to other types of radiation such as X-rays . A critical molecular question is : why ? To study the genetic origins of alphaparticle radiation ( radon ) -induced lung cancer , our team has developed high throughput technologies to study repetitive alpha-particle radiation effects using human cell systems . By doing this , we can reproduce in a laboratory what happens all the time to people who return each day to a home containing high radon levels .
Using this technology , we are discovering the specific genetic mutation pattern ( a ‘ signature ’) that arises in cells that become cancer following long-term , repetitive exposure to radon . Once we have this in hand , it will be possible to confidently assign the origin of lung cancer to radon exposure , much as can be done already for tobacco smoking .
THIS WORK IS BEING FUNDED BY :