Neurocognitive Decline Following Radiotherapy: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications
The brain undergoes ionizing radiation (IR) exposure in many clinical situations, particularly during radiotherapy for malignant brain tumors. Cranial radiation therapy is related with the hazard of long-term neurocognitive decline. The detrimental ionizing radiation effects on the brain closely cor...
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doaj-0cb92e19c8d746e8b8cec528b414f24b2020-11-25T00:33:36ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942020-01-0112114610.3390/cancers12010146cancers12010146Neurocognitive Decline Following Radiotherapy: Mechanisms and Therapeutic ImplicationsSimonetta Pazzaglia0Giovanni Briganti1Mariateresa Mancuso2Anna Saran3Laboratory of Biomedical Technologies, ENEA CR-Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Radiation Physics Guglielmo Marconi University, Via Plinio 44, 00193 Rome, ItalyLaboratory of Biomedical Technologies, ENEA CR-Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, ItalyLaboratory of Biomedical Technologies, ENEA CR-Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, ItalyThe brain undergoes ionizing radiation (IR) exposure in many clinical situations, particularly during radiotherapy for malignant brain tumors. Cranial radiation therapy is related with the hazard of long-term neurocognitive decline. The detrimental ionizing radiation effects on the brain closely correlate with age at treatment, and younger age associates with harsher deficiencies. Radiation has been shown to induce damage in several cell populations of the mouse brain. Indeed, brain exposure causes a dysfunction of the neurogenic niche due to alterations in the neuronal and supporting cell progenitor signaling environment, particularly in the hippocampus—a region of the brain critical to memory and cognition. Consequent deficiencies in rates of generation of new neurons, neural differentiation and apoptotic cell death, lead to neuronal deterioration and lasting repercussions on neurocognitive functions. Besides neural stem cells, mature neural cells and glial cells are recognized IR targets. We will review the current knowledge about radiation-induced damage in stem cells of the brain and discuss potential treatment interventions and therapy methods to prevent and mitigate radiation related cognitive decline.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/1/146neural stem cellsneurogenesisionizing radiationneurocognitive effects |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Simonetta Pazzaglia Giovanni Briganti Mariateresa Mancuso Anna Saran |
spellingShingle |
Simonetta Pazzaglia Giovanni Briganti Mariateresa Mancuso Anna Saran Neurocognitive Decline Following Radiotherapy: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications Cancers neural stem cells neurogenesis ionizing radiation neurocognitive effects |
author_facet |
Simonetta Pazzaglia Giovanni Briganti Mariateresa Mancuso Anna Saran |
author_sort |
Simonetta Pazzaglia |
title |
Neurocognitive Decline Following Radiotherapy: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications |
title_short |
Neurocognitive Decline Following Radiotherapy: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications |
title_full |
Neurocognitive Decline Following Radiotherapy: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications |
title_fullStr |
Neurocognitive Decline Following Radiotherapy: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications |
title_full_unstemmed |
Neurocognitive Decline Following Radiotherapy: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications |
title_sort |
neurocognitive decline following radiotherapy: mechanisms and therapeutic implications |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Cancers |
issn |
2072-6694 |
publishDate |
2020-01-01 |
description |
The brain undergoes ionizing radiation (IR) exposure in many clinical situations, particularly during radiotherapy for malignant brain tumors. Cranial radiation therapy is related with the hazard of long-term neurocognitive decline. The detrimental ionizing radiation effects on the brain closely correlate with age at treatment, and younger age associates with harsher deficiencies. Radiation has been shown to induce damage in several cell populations of the mouse brain. Indeed, brain exposure causes a dysfunction of the neurogenic niche due to alterations in the neuronal and supporting cell progenitor signaling environment, particularly in the hippocampus—a region of the brain critical to memory and cognition. Consequent deficiencies in rates of generation of new neurons, neural differentiation and apoptotic cell death, lead to neuronal deterioration and lasting repercussions on neurocognitive functions. Besides neural stem cells, mature neural cells and glial cells are recognized IR targets. We will review the current knowledge about radiation-induced damage in stem cells of the brain and discuss potential treatment interventions and therapy methods to prevent and mitigate radiation related cognitive decline. |
topic |
neural stem cells neurogenesis ionizing radiation neurocognitive effects |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/1/146 |
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