Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2026. Vol. 71. № 5
DOI:10.33266/1024-6177-2026-71-5-73-85
I.B. Korzeneva1, Z.V. Bakaeva2, E.N. Skorodumova1, E.V. Stepanova1, N.A. Alekseeva1, E.I. Sideltsova1, E.V. Samoylova1, M.V. Prokhorova3, G.A. Marchenko4
THE PREFERRED APOPTOTIS PATHWAYS IN HUMANS DIFFER IN CASE OF PROLONGED CONTACT WITH LOW DOSE ALPHA AND GAMMA IONIZING RADIATION
1 The Russian Federal Nuclear Center – All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics, Sarov, Russia
2 National Medical Research Center for Childrens Health, Moscow, Russia
3 I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
4 Cytek Biosciences Inc., Fremont, CA, USA
Contact person: I.B. Korzeneva, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To establish the preferred signal pathways by which apoptosis is initiated in human’s cells, when the most intense initial signal is low dose dense ionizing α-radiation or rarely ionizing γ-radiation, there was performed the measurement and subsequent analytical evaluation of the expression levels for 7 key marker genes: jnk, bad, tp53, casp-8, casp-9 as apoptosis inductors, and bcl-2, akt as apoptosis inhibitors.
Material and methods: Two cohorts of personnel from one of the atomic energy use organizations (AEUO), exposed to a prolonged combined low dose (α+γ)-irradiation, were examined. The cohorts differed in α-radiation contribution to the accumulated radiation exposure: γ-radiation prevailed in one cohort, while α-radiation – in another. Using the device MagPix and a multiplex immuno-cytochemical biomarkers’ analysis methodology, the preferred signal pathways of apoptosis induction, as well as their intensity, were revealed for each cohort.
Results: Comparison of all involved genes’ expression showed essential differences in the main “cast of players” that initiate apoptosis in α- and γ-irradiated cohorts. The survey resulted in the complied map of the preferred apoptosis pathways in each cohort. Molecular mechanisms were identified that predispose to greater oncotension in the a-irradiated cohort compared to the γ-irradiated cohort.
Conclusion: The survey results are important for developing the set of factors that should be taken into account in personalized stuff selection for work in radiation hazardous environments. This area is developed by the Radiation and Radiation-Monitoring Register of Occupational Nuclear Personnel (RFNC-VNIIEF, Sarov) within the framework of creating the automated system for assessing and predicting the human body’s individual response to different ionizing radiation types. The automated system will be used for the benefit of the nuclear and other strategic science and industry branches, as well as for the benefit of radiation medicine.
Keywords: personnel, low dose ionizing radiation, blood, cell response, signalling, apoptosis inductors, apoptosis inhibitors, multiplex analysis
For citation: Korzeneva IB, Bakaeva ZV, Skorodumova EN, Stepanova EV, Alekseeva NA, Sideltsova EI, Samoylova EV, Prokhorova MV, Marchenko GA. The Preferred Apoptotis Pathways in Humans Differ in Case of Prolonged Contact with Low Dose Alpha and Gamma Ionizing Radiation. Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2026;71(5):73–85. DOI:10.33266/1024-6177-2026-71-5-73-85
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PDF (RUS) Full-text article (in Russian)
Conflict of interest.The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Financing. This work was funded from the budget of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center – All‑Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics.
Contribution. Korzeneva Inna Borisovna – idea, development of the experimental design, formation of cohorts for the survey, organization and conduct of the survey of personnel at the EO OIAE, isolation of lymphocytes from blood samples for multiplex immunocytochemical analysis of apoptosis markers, statistical processing, analysis and interpretation of the results. Writing the article. Bakaeva Zanda Valerievna – performing immunocytochemical measurements using the MagPix and Luminex multiplex biomarker analyzers. Skorodumova Elena Nikolaevna – participation in conducting a survey of the personnel of the Experimental Department of the Institute of Atomic Energy, isolation of lymphocytes from blood samples, sample preparation for multiplex immunocytochemical analysis of apoptosis markers, preparation of cell lysates. Article editing. Alekseeva Nadezhda Alexandrovna – assessment of DNA damage using the DNA‑comet method, visualization of “comets” using fluorescence microscopy. Sideltsova Elena Ivanovna – assessment of DNA damage using the DNA‑comet method, visualization of “comets” using fluorescence microscopy. Samoilova Ekaterina Valeryevna – assessment of DNA damage using the DNA‑comet method, visualization of “comets” using fluorescence microscopy. Stepanova Elena Valeryevna – database development of research results, graphical analysis of the results of multiplex immunocytochemical analysis of apoptosis markers. Prokhorova Marina Vladimirovna – scientific consulting on the development of the experimental design, selection of antibody sets conjugated with fluorescent dyes for analysis. Marchenko Grigory Alexandrovich – scientific consulting on the development of the experimental design, fine‑tuning of the methodology for immunocytochemical measurements on the multiplex biomarker analyzer “MagPix”, “Luminex”.
Article received: 20.04.2026. Accepted for publication: 25.05.2026.