Our views on issues in radiation biodosimetry based on chromosome translocations measured by FISH

A biomarker for retrospective biodosimetry for radiation exposure and human health risk assessment would be most useful if it employed an endpoint that is highly quantitative, is stable over time, and is relevant to human health risk. The frequency of chromosome translocations in individuals exposed to low to medium doses of whole-body radiation serves these goals. Recent advances in chromosome painting using fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) facilitate fast and reliable measurement of chromosome translocations, a kind of DNA damage linked to both prior clastogenic exposure and to human health risk. Here, results from this laboratory on issues of FISH-based radiation biodosimetry are discussed.link_to_subscribed_fulltex