Research on Health Effects of Low-Level Ionizing Radiation Exposure Opportunities for the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (2014) / Chapter Skim
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4 AFRRI Programs, Research, and Resources
4 AFRRI Programs, Research, and Resources
Pages 75-110
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From page 75... ...
The chapter presents a brief history of AFRRI and its role within the Military Services. The Institute's physical plant, staff, budget, current research, col laborations, and educational efforts are also described.
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From page 76... ...
. In the 1960s, the Institute's research enterprise was partitioned into five departments -- Experimental Pathology, Behavioral Sciences, Physical Sciences, Chemistry, and Radiation Biology -- and focused on biological responses, with an emphasis on high doses of external radiation.
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Management Structure AFRRI functions as a joint entity of the Military Services under the authority, direction, and control of the president of USUHS, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (DoD, 2006)
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• Provide analysis, study, and consultation on the impact of the biological effects of ionizing radiation on the organizational efficiency of the Military Services and their members. • Conduct cooperative research with the Military Medical Departments in those aspects of military operational and medical support considerations related to nuclear weapons effects and the radiobiological hazards of space operations.
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. As of 2005, it was 1 of 18 TRIGA reactors in the United States and the only one dedicated to applied medical radiobiology research (Dix, 2005)
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Andrew Huff, Col, MC, SFS, USAF AFRRI Scientific Directors 1966–1971: Harold O Wyckoff, Ph.D.
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NOTE: IACUC = Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. SOURCES: Derived from AFRRI, 2013c, and Huff, 2013b.4-1.eps 81
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Philips Brilliance CT Big Bore System was acquired in August 2012 but was not operational as of January 2014 * This source was replaced by an Xstrahl Small Animal Radiation Research Platform in 2014.
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. Chronic-Irradiation Facility AFRRI has a second 60Co radiation source that provides low-dose rate gamma-photon radiation to simulate chronic exposure to low doses and is used to study early and late effects in biological samples.
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. In late 2013, the Veterinary Sciences Department comprised 26 staff members: 5 veterinarians (Department Head, Deputy Head, Contract Clini cal Veterinarian, Veterinarian, and Veterinary Pathologist)
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All research protocols require review and approval from the organization's Institutional Animal Care and Use Com mittee. The program supports not only AFRRI research but also USUHS and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center studies.
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From page 86... ...
Therefore, the AFRRI research and development goals concentrate on the following: pursuing new drugs that will prevent the life-threatening and health-degrading effects of ionizing radiation; developing methods for rapidly assessing radiation exposure to ensure appropriate medical treatment; investigating the effects of radiation injury combined with other challenges such as trauma, disease, and chemi cal exposures; and contributing to the radiobiological knowledge base. Biological Dosimetry AFRRI has been engaged in developing rapid, high-precision analytical methods that can be used to assess radiation-exposure doses from clini cal samples to aid in the triage and medical management of radiological casualties.
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From page 87... ...
The BAT assists providers in identifying individuals who have significant radiation exposures and then in making appropriate treatment decisions using AFRRI-developed, radiation dose–predicting algorithms (single lymphocyte count, lymphocyte-depletion rate, and time from ex posure to time of onset of emesis)
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A specific aim of the AFRRI internal contamination and metal toxicity program is to determine whether the short- and long-term radiological and toxicological risks of embedded metals warrant changes in the current combat and postcombat fragmentremoval policies for military personnel and (in the case of internalized radiological hazards) to investigate treatment strategies to enhance elimi nation of these metals from the body.
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. Possible countermeasures to ionizing radiation can be broadly cate gorized into three groups: drugs that prevent the initial radiation injury (for example, free-radical scavengers; antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic agents; and hypoxia-, enzymatic detoxification-, or oncogene- targeting agents)
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AFRRI researchers seek to develop a comprehensive understanding of the biology of radiation injury combined with traumatic injury and to establish an understanding of counter easure m drugs (including novel drug candidates for prophylaxis, mitigation, or t herapy)
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. The course concentrates on the biomedical consequences of radiation exposure, the reduction of effects, and the medical management of casual ties.
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These are compiled from the outcomes of more than five decades of research and development and experience. One handbook, Medical Management of Radiological Casualties, devel oped by the AFRRI Military Medical Operations staff, is designed to be used by responders who may have minimal knowledge of the effects of ionizing radiation on the human body.
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. This volume addresses nuclear events and their conse quences for the medical community, including ARS; triage and treatment of radiation and combined-injury mass casualties; treatment of internal radio nuclide contamination; behavioral and neurophysiological consequences of radiation exposure; cytogenic dosimetry; and other related topics.
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, a computer-based software diagnostic tool for use by healthcare providers shortly after a radi ation incident to help them identify individuals with significant radiation exposure and make appropriate treatment decisions. • WinFRAT (First-responders Radiological Assessment Triage)
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Plans for a graduate program in radiation biology as a part of the USUHS Molecular and Cell Biology Department have been developed but not implemented (AFRRI, 2013a)
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. Within DoD's Defense Health Program, O&M fund ing is divided into seven major areas: in-house health care, private-sector health care, information management, education and training, management activities, consolidated health support, and base operations (Defense Health Program, 2014)
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The funded projects include two that are associated with low-dose radiation exposure: Evaluation of the Health Risks of Embedded Depleted Uranium (DU) Shrapnel on Pregnancy and Offspring Development in 1995 and Preconceptional Paternal Exposure to Embedded Depleted Uranium Fragments: Transmission of Genetic Damage to Offspring in 2007.
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NOTES: DMRDP = Defense Medical Research and Development Program; DoD = Depart ment of Defense; FY = fiscal year; RDT&E = research development testing and evaluation funds; O&M = operations and maintenance funds. FY 2013 and FY 2014 funding allocations may have been affected by cuts implemented as a result of the Budget Control Act of 2011.
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AFRRI PROGRAMS, RESEARCH, AND RESOURCES 99 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14* 9,427 3,166 3,236 3,223 2,997 3,239 3,464 3,558 1,139 1,216 2,127 783 799 797 736 699 733 739 250 304 0 0 0 0 0 3,589 1,026 762 849 3,813 1,350 3,352 1,682 3,705 6,975 800 0 0 0 0 Not Not Not 3,214 4,327 7,772 5,372 4,939 2,442 3,487 avail.
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FSR&M: facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization; O&M: operations and maintenance; RDT&E: research development testing and evaluation.
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. As of July 2013, AFRRI's Scientific Research Department comprised 68 employees: • 19 PIs: 17 civilian federal employees and 2 military personnel, • 14 Research Associates: 13 contractors and 1 military personnel member, and • 35 Technicians: 22 contractors, 9 civilian federal employees, and 4 military personnel.
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. These PIs participate in AFRRI's key research areas: six conduct bio dosimetry research, eight conduct countermeasures research, four conduct research on combined injuries, two investigate internal contamination and heavy-metal toxicity; some participate in two research areas.
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Two of these three are with USUHS investigators -- one on the development of a low-dose radiation-induced skin cancer model and the other on low-dose radiation cancer risks; the third is a collaboration with a NASA researcher on low-dose-rate radiation effects. Earlier, AFRRI collaborated with various other academic and govern mental organizations for DU research: Columbia University, NIH and NCI, University of Paris, United Kingdom Medical Research Council, French I nstitute of Nuclear Security, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York University, University of Maine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine (Kalinich et al., 2005)
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, Hannover Medical School (Germany) , Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (India)
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Assessing risks and creating models to predict casualties from combined injuries and internal contamination (radiation or metal poisoning resulting from embedded shrapnel made of DU or tungsten alloys) permits better military decision making.
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The second element of the statement of task called on the committee to assess how AFRRI programs are advancing research in radiobiological science related to human health risks from exposures to low-dose ionizing radiation. Although AFRRI has conducted a small number of studies at low doses, low-dose radiation exposure was not a specifically defined research area at the time this report was written.
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course. http://www.usuhs.edu/ afrri/outreach/meir/meir.htm (accessed February 5, 2014)
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2013a. Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute: Presentation to the Com mittee on Research Directions in Human Biological Effects of Low-Level Ionizing Radia tion.Washington, DC, May 3, 2013.
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LabCode=15&ReturnURL=%2fRAPLab10%2fOpportunity%2fPrograms. aspx%3fLabCode%3d15 (accessed February 12, 2014)
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2014. Participating labs: Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute.
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