South Korean Scientists Find Novel Radiation Protection in Space-Hardy Bacteria | Be Korea-savvy

South Korean Scientists Find Novel Radiation Protection in Space-Hardy Bacteria


Scientists at the Advanced Radiation Technology Institute announced that they have discovered a way to mitigate radiation-induced organ damage using Deinococcus radiodurans. (Image courtesy of the Advanced Radiation Technology Institute)

Scientists at the Advanced Radiation Technology Institute announced that they have discovered a way to mitigate radiation-induced organ damage using Deinococcus radiodurans. (Image courtesy of the Advanced Radiation Technology Institute)

DAEJEON, Jan. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — Scientists at the Advanced Radiation Technology Institute of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute announced on January 23 that they have discovered a way to mitigate radiation-induced organ damage using Deinococcus radiodurans, a bacterium renowned for its exceptional radiation resistance.

While research into radiation protection agents is being conducted globally, conventional chemical-based protectants have been limited by their toxicity and side effects. The new approach offers a promising alternative using a microorganism that has already proven its resilience in space. 

D. radiodurans, considered the most radiation-resistant organism on Earth, gained fame during NASA experiments where it survived intense solar radiation and space conditions. The Korean research team mass-cultured this remarkable microorganism and isolated its exosomes — small vesicles secreted by cells — using ultracentrifugation. They then designed a radiation exposure and damage model to study the relationship between radiation doses and bodily harm. 

In a breakthrough experiment, laboratory mice treated with these bacterial exosomes showed remarkable resilience to radiation. When exposed to 8 Gy of radiation (nearly four times the typical 2-3 Gy dose used in standard cancer treatments) one hour after receiving the exosomes, the treated mice demonstrated a 70% higher survival rate compared to the control group.

The study revealed that while radiation typically causes severe damage to the hematopoietic system, which produces blood cells, and the gastrointestinal tract, mice treated with the exosomes showed virtually no damage to either system. The protection was attributed to enhanced antioxidant capabilities and suppressed inflammatory responses. 

This new technology offers advantages over existing FDA-approved radiation protectants, which typically target single organs. The bacterial exosome approach can protect multiple organs simultaneously and shows superior biocompatibility with minimal toxicity concerns.

The research team plans to conduct additional experiments combining their bacterial exosomes with existing FDA-approved radiation protectants, potentially developing an even more effective radiation shield.

M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com) 

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