Radiation-Induced Endothelial Vascular Injury: A Review of Possible Mechanisms

Overview

Journal JACC Basic Transl Sci

Date 2018 Sep 4

PMID 30175280

Citations 124

Authors

Bhanu Prasad Venkatesulu

Lakshmi Shree Mahadevan

Maureen L Aliru

Xi Yang

Monica Himaani Bodd

Pankaj K Singh

Syed Wamique Yusuf

Jun-Ichi Abe

Sunil Krishnan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In radiation therapy for cancer, the therapeutic ratio represents an optimal balance between tumor control and normal tissue complications. As improvements in the therapeutic arsenal against cancer extend longevity, the importance of late effects of radiation increases, particularly those caused by vascular endothelial injury. Radiation both initiates and accelerates atherosclerosis, leading to vascular events like stroke, coronary artery disease, and peripheral artery disease. Increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the blood of long-term survivors of the atomic bomb suggest that radiation evokes a systemic inflammatory state responsible for chronic vascular side effects. In this review, the authors offer an overview of potential mechanisms implicated in radiation-induced vascular injury.

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