Radiation therapy is frequently used as a standard treatment for different
types of cancer. Ionizing radiation (IR) has been used clinically for
cancer treatment, because the exposure to high doses of gamma IR
causes severe DNA damage that can lead to apoptosis of cancer cells.
There is growing evidence that IR causes an increase in the cancer
stem cell population, and can affect the stemness characteristics of
cancer cells, resulting in maintenance of stem-like populations with a
higher resistance to radiotherapy. However,molecular mechanisms underlying
radiation resistance in cancer cells remain poorly understood.
These mechanisms are complex and require more comprehensive
characterization.