Telomere dysfunction: a new player in radiation sensitivity.

SummaryHuman individuals often exhibit important differences intheir sensitivity toionising radiation. ExtensiveliteraturelinksradiationsensitivitywithimpairedDNArepairwhichis due to a lack of correct functioning in many proteinsinvolved in DNA-repair pathways and/or in DNA-damagecheckpointresponses.Giventhationisingradiationisanimportant and widespread diagnostic and therapeutictool, it is important to investigate further those factorsandmechanismsthatunderlieindividualradiosensitivity.Recently, evidence is accumulating that telomere func-tion may well be involved in cellular and organismresponses to ionising radiation, broadening still furtherthe currently complex and challenging scenario. Bio-Essays. BioEssays 28:1172–1180, 2006. 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.IntroductionDNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are among the most—dangerous lesions to mammalian cells exposed to ionisingradiations because, although they are produced at a lowerfrequency compared with other DNA lesions, cellular repairmechanismsremoveDNADSBslessefficientlyandwithlowerfidelity than other types of DNA damage.