{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,11]],"date-time":"2026-03-11T07:48:33Z","timestamp":1773215313203,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773100800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Polish National Science Center","award":["2020\/39\/O\/NZ5\/02625"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2020\/39\/O\/NZ5\/02625"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aim of the study was to define radiobiological effects of single and fractionated low doses in normal fibroblasts in 40 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) treated with induction chemotherapy combined with low-dose fractionated radiation (LDFR) and to answer the question regarding the role of low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity (HRS) in these effects. HRS status was determined using flow cytometry-based clonogenic survival assay (cells were irradiated with doses 0.1\u20134 Gy of 6 MV X-rays). Radiobiological effects (cell kill, kinetics of DSB recognition and repair, chemopotentiation) of LDFR 4x0.5 Gy and a single dose of 2, 0.5 and 0.2 Gy were estimated by clonogenic, pATM and \u03b3H2AX foci assays. HRS response was demonstrated for normal fibroblasts in 6 of the 40 HNSCC patients. For all assessed biological parameters, significant interindividual differences were observed. The presence of HRS had no effect on the chemopotentiating effects of LDFR 4x0.5 Gy, which were similar to that after 2 Gy. There was also no association between HRS and the maximum number of pATM and \u03b3H2AX foci induced by single (0.2, 0.5, 2 Gy) or fractionated low doses 4x0.5 Gy. Significantly higher percentages of residual pATM and \u03b3H2AX foci observed after LDFR 4x0.5 Gy than after 2 Gy were independent of HRS. HRS is a rare finding (15%) in normal fibroblasts from HNSCC patients; therefore, it is of rather little importance in healthy late-reacting connective tissues. Moreover, the fibroblast response to single and fractionated low doses (alone or in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel) appeared more dependent on individual radiosensitivity than on HRS.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms27062525","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T09:55:38Z","timestamp":1773136538000},"page":"2525","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Radiobiological Effects of Low-Dose Radiation in Normal Fibroblasts of Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Treated with Induction Chemotherapy Combined with Low-Dose Fractionated Radiation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-5486-1836","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gabriela","family":"Winiarska","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Translational Research and Molecular Biology of Cancer, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology Gliwice Branch, Gliwice, Ul. Wybrze\u017ce Armii Krajowej 15, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2735-5664","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tomasz","family":"Rutkowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1st Radiation and Clinical Oncology Department, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Ul. Wybrze\u017ce Armii Krajowej 15, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Adam","family":"G\u0105dek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiotherapy Planning Department, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Ul. Wybrze\u017ce Armii Krajowej 15, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wojciech","family":"Fidyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Oncohematology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Ul. Wybrze\u017ce Armii Krajowej 15, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Magdalena","family":"G\u0142owala-Kosi\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Oncohematology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Ul. Wybrze\u017ce Armii Krajowej 15, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4627-6531","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Urszula","family":"Kacorzyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1st Radiation and Clinical Oncology Department, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Ul. Wybrze\u017ce Armii Krajowej 15, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Krzysztof","family":"Sk\u0142adowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1st Radiation and Clinical Oncology Department, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Ul. Wybrze\u017ce Armii Krajowej 15, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1225-2355","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dorota","family":"S\u0142onina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Translational Research and Molecular Biology of Cancer, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology Gliwice Branch, Gliwice, Ul. Wybrze\u017ce Armii Krajowej 15, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1007\/s13566-012-0074-3","article-title":"Low-dose fractionated radiation with induction chemotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer: 5-year results of a prospective phase II trial","volume":"2","author":"Gleason","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Radiat. 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