Riscrad - RISC-RAD : a European research project

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RISC-RAD : a European research project

"As modern molecular methods are developed and applied, the understanding of the mechanisms of tumorigenesis has, in recent years, increased substantially. At the same time there has been an equivalent increase in knowledge of radiation action on cellular DNA; of control of the reproductive cell cycle; of the mechanisms of DNA repair, genomic maintenance, and mutagenesis; and of non-mutational mechanisms of stable cellular changes. All this information could be relevant to assessing the shape of the dose response for both radiation-induced cancer and hereditary disease at low doses and dose rates and the effects of radiation quality at exposures below those at which direct information is available."

United Nations Scientific Committee on the effects of Atomic Radiation - UNSCEAR
"sources and effects of ionizing radiation", 2000

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Key facts

- Integrated Project funded by the European Commission under 6th Framework Programme / Euratom

- Cellular and molecular biology research on the effects of low and protracted doses of ionizing radiation

- Duration : 4 years 2004-2008

- Coordination : French Atomic Energy Commission CEA / Dr. Laure Sabatier

- Scientific Manager : Dr L.H.F. Mullenders, Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands

- Partners : 11 European countries, 5 specialized scientific Work Packages (WP).

- Total scientific effort in the project is estimated at nearly € 30 million with an EC contribution of € 10 million.

- 29 organisations :
10 national research entities
3 national radioprotection institutes
12 universities
3 national cancer institutes
1 private not-for-profit organisation

- A multidisciplinary task force specialised in radiobiology, genetics, molecular biology, cellular biology, biophysics and oncology, i.e 33 laboratories or a network of 400 researchers

- Innovative technologies (fluorescence microscopy, RNA interference, animal models, genomic technologies, computer simulations, …) for the identification of genetic variables in processing of radiation damage and quantitative analysis of implications for risk assessment.