Radioprotection

Radioprotection encompasses all methods and agents that prevent or lessen the biological damage caused by ionizing radiation, including principles applied in occupational, environmental, and medical contexts[1][2][3][6][8]. In medicine, radioprotective agents are used mainly to reduce the adverse effects of radiotherapy in cancer patients[7]. At the molecular level, radioprotective drugs act by counteracting radiation-induced oxidative stress, maintaining antioxidant stores, and modulating inflammatory or stress pathways[7]. The field involves both non-pharmaceutical measures (such as shielding, minimizing exposure time, and maximizing distance from sources) and molecular agents such as antioxidants, cytokine modulators, and receptor agonists[1][5][7]. "Radioprotection" is not a molecular target but a multidisciplinary approach and collection of strategies for radiation safety[1][2][3][6][7][8].

Other names

Radiological protectionRadiation protection

Scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS); Enhancement of cellular antioxidant capacity; Modulation of cytokine production/binding; Activation of pro-survival signaling pathways.