Ionising Radiation Damages DNA

The researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators have been able to identify two characteristic patterns of DNA damage in human cancers, caused by ionising radiation. These patterns may now enable the doctors to identify which tumors have been caused by radiation, and investigate if they should be treated differently. The results are published in Nature Communications and will help to explain how radiation can cause cancer.

Ionising radiation, such as gamma rays, x-rays and radioactive particles can damage the DNA and cause cancer. It is not known how this happens or how many tumors are caused …read more