Mechanisms of resistance to apoptosis in glial cells

Cells respond to ionizing radiation (IR) in various ways, from the activation of survival pathways, to the induction of apoptosis that will eventually eliminate damaged cells, which is what radiotherapy is based on. The type of cellular response to IR depends largely on the cell type that is affected. Thus, there are cells that have greater resistance to radiation than others. A high degree of radio-resistance of the cell type from which tumor growth originates might be one of the underlying causes of the radio-resistance of the tumors derived from that cell type. Data from our lab using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system suggest that normal glial cells have intrinsic mechanisms that attenuated the apoptotic response after irradiation. This could be one of the underlying causes of why glioma cells are radioresistant . Our project aims to identify the molecular factors that either prevent or attenuate the apoptotic response in glial cells after radiation.