Identification of genetic factors involved in the adverse effect of radiation treatment

Identification of genes involved in radiation exposure is explored in the postdoc project of Olaug Rødningen. In this study cultured fibroblasts from 40 breast cancer patients previously treated with IR and evaluated for response and morbidity is exposed to IR mimicking the patient dose, and gene expression analyzed using high-density cDNA microarrays. Genes showing differential expression in cells from patients that have showed different side effects of the treatment will be identified and further analyzed. Such genes may also be candidates for analyses of genetic variation that may influence the effect of radiation. This is collaboration with Jens Overgaard, Denmark. The patients have been followed for many years and they have shown a large variation in response to the treatment. This is a unique material for studies of genetic factors involved in the adverse effect of IR treatment These studies will hopefully give us more knowledge about the factors involved in the variable responses to IR and identification of genes and gene clusters that can distinguish those patients which had the most diverse effect in vivo.

In the PhD project of Hege Edvardsen, blood samples from different cohort of patients that have been exposed to different doses of X-rays and where side effects have been monitored, are studied for genetic variation in a large number of genes. For more details se Vessela N. Kristensen's projects