A new way to treat radiation sickness

The short-term effects of exposure to high levels of penetrating radiation are collectively known as acute radiation syndrome (ARS). Common symptoms include a loss of appetite, fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, while more serious conditions include anaemia, bleeding, seizures and coma.

Although ARS is most often associated with accidental exposure from working with radioactive materials for industrial or medical purposes, it is by no means limited to such events. First responders and cancer patients are also at an elevated risk of ARS.

Unfortunately, treatment options are extremely limited. "While there are ways to treat the long-term effects, we still lack the ability to treat its short-term effects with high efficiency and in a short timeframe," explains Joaquin Silvestre-Albero, a professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Alicante in Spain.

But this could soon change, thanks to a class of materials called enterosorbents. "These are used to adsorb or retain specific molecules found in a living organism, and are already used to remove toxins and prevent toxic-allergic reactions," says Silvestre-Albero.

With the support of the NanoMed project, which was funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, Silvestre-Albero aims to apply the concept to molecules generated in the body after exposure to radiation, such as radionuclides and the reactive oxygen species. The end goal is to mitigate some of the side effects of irradiation in the body.

Understanding enterosorbents

Enterosorbents work by concentrating the targeted molecules within the internal cavities or pores and removing them from the living organism. In doing so, they help minimise any potential side effects.

The project focused on applying activated carbon materials and pectins - two well-known adsorbents. "The challenge is that this process must be done in a way that only the harmful stuff is absorbed and not anything beneficial, such as vitamins and nutrients," says Silvestre-Albero.

Two components, one tablet

Unfortunately, the composite could not be further developed, as the partner responsible for providing activated carbons was based in Ukraine and had to stop all activities following Russia's invasion. Nonetheless, the project has opened the door to an effective treatment option for mitigating the side effects of radiation sickness.

"We envision combining both activated carbons and pectins and making them available as either a tablet or inside a polymeric capsule that can be taken just like any other pill," says Silvestre-Albero.

Combining both components into a single pill ensures that all targeted toxins and molecules can be safely removed in one go. "The combination of these two components and their proper design will improve the efficiency and versatility of the treatment," remarks Silvestre-Albero.

More information needed

However, Silvestre-Albero cautions that such a tablet couldn't be taken freely, as doing so would end up also removing vitamins and minerals, thus doing more harm than good.

"We still don't know how much radiation exposure is needed to produce harmful molecules in the body," he adds. "If we knew this, then we might be able to know when intervention with a tablet such as that proposed by the NanoMed project could be useful."

While the focus of the NanoMed project continues to be ARS, some of its findings could be applied to other fields. For example, with the support of the EU-funded CLEANWATER project, Silvestre-Albero is looking at how a combination of cold plasma and porous materials similar to those developed in NanoMed can be used to treat wastewater.

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