MRRB0411p Radiobiology - lecture

Faculty of Medicine
spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Ing. Marek Dostál, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. RNDr. Vojtěch Mornstein, CSc. (lecturer)
Mgr. Daniel Vlk, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Vojtěch Mornstein, CSc.
Department of Biophysics – Theoretical Departments – Faculty of Medicine
Supplier department: Department of Biophysics – Theoretical Departments – Faculty of Medicine
Prerequisites
Completing the basic bachelor course on physics, elementary knowledge on chemistry and molecular biology.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Radiobiology is one of the theoretic bases for therapeutic utilisation of ionising radiation as well as the understanding of risks connected with diagnostic applications of ionising radiation. Hence the understanding of radiobiological principles is crucial from the point of view of therapy effectiveness and safety of patients. Therefore, during the lectures, we will refer to results of basic research in this field but their practical importance namely in radiotherapy will be accentuated. The main themes are (besides remembering some fundamental biological knowledge) the principles of water radiochemistry, radiochemistry of some other biologically important substances, effects of radiation on cells, tissues and organs (including model approach), response to irradiation and its modification with emphasis on oxygen effect. The late effects of irradiation and the carcinogenesis will be also accentuated. An appropriate attention will be also paid to the environmental problems and to the biological effects of non-ionising radiation.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course the student will be able to: - utilise the radiobiological knowledge for optimisation of radiotherapeutical procedures. - assess the risks connected with diagnostic applications of ionising radiation. The student will also understand: - the crucial results of basic research in the field of radiobiology, including their practical impact, - principles of water radiochemistry and radiochemistry of some other biologically important substances, - the effects of ionising radiation in different levels of living mater organisation (acute and late), - environmental problems comprising ionising radiation, - biological effects of non-ionising radiation (at an appropriate level).
Syllabus
  • 1. Resume of cellular and molecular biology.
  • 2. Resume of interactions of ionising radiation with matter and selected problems of dosimetry.
  • 3. Radiochemistry: Radiochemistry of water, yield of radiochemical reactions, free radical scavengers, Fricke dosimeter, direct and indirect action, damage to DNA and its repair, repair fidelity.
  • 4. Theories and models of cell survival: survival curves, single hit, multi-target, molecular model, linear-quadratic (LQ) model, notes on more complex models.
  • 5. Radiosensitivity and radioresistence: Modification of response on irradiation – temperature, oxygen effect, thiols, aromatic nitro-compounds.
  • 6. Radiobiology of normal tissues: Stochastic and deterministic effects, acute and late effects. Cellular death, radiation damage to the population, cell survival models, test models of normal tissues in vivo, division of tissues according to the response (F, H, F-H and tumours). Acute response to irradiation in mammals.
  • 7. Radiobiology of tumour tissues: theory of tumor growth, cell survivor models.
  • 8. Late effects in normal tissues: effects on individual organs, effects of fractionated and long-term irradiation, fractionation in radiotherapy.
  • 9. Radiation carcinogenesis.
  • 10. Natural and artificial sources of radiation. Radionuclides in medicine and environment.
  • 11. Safety of patients: Protection of patient against ionising radiation and quality of the health-care. Quality of X-ray imaging and its diagnostic accuracy. Non-ionising radiation and electromagnetic field in radiology.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • Přednášky uložené na stránce: http://www.med.muni.cz/biofyz/radiologieBC.htm
  • Radiobiology for the radiologist, Hall E.j., Giaccia A. J., Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 7th edition, 2011
  • KUDRYASHOV, Yurii Borisovich. Radiation biophysics (ionizing radiations). Edited by Mikhail F. Lomanov. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2008, xxxv, 327. ISBN 9781600212802. info
Teaching methods
lecture
Assessment methods
oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms spring 2021, spring 2022, spring 2023, spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/med/spring2025/MRRB0411p