Follistatin is induced by ionizing radiation and potentially predictive of radiosensitivity in radiation-induced fibrosis patient derived fibroblasts.

ABSTRACT: Follistatin is a potent regulator of the inflammatory response and binds to and inhibits activin A action. Activin A is a member of the TGFβ protein superfamily which has regulatory roles in the inflammatory response and in the fibrotic process. Fibrosis can occur following cell injury and cell death induced by agents such as ionizing radiation (IR). IR is used to treat cancer and marked fibrotic response is a normal tissue (non-tumour) consequence in a fraction of patients under the current dose regimes. The discovery and development of a therapeutic to abate fibrosis in these radiosensitive patients would be a major advance for cancer radiotherapy. Likewise, prediction of which patients are susceptible to fibrosis would enable individualization of treatment and provide an opportunity for

SUBMITTER: Forrester HB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3799767 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature