# PRENATAL THYMIC RADIATION INJURY AND IMMUNE DEVELOPMENT

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · 1988 · $40,155

## Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate medium to low dose radiation injury to
the developing fetal immune system with the ultimate goal of determining if
this injury could be important in the pathogenesis of radiation-induced
lymphoid neoplasia.  The thymus gland is critical for normal development of
immunological function and prenatal damage could lead to immunoregulatory
or immunodeficiency disorders.  Such disorders have been associated with an
increased prevalence of lymphoid neoplasia.

Preliminary studies demonstrated significant radiation-induced thymic
epithelial cell injury after prenatal exposures.  The proposed experiment
will extend these observations by evaluating the persistence of prenatal
thymic injury in postnatal life including functional immunologic
abnormalities.  The study is designed to develop dose-response
relationships for prenatal immunologic injury and to determine whether
effects can be demonstrated at low doses pertinent to current concerns over
radiation carcinogenesis.

A total of 120 beagle dog fetuses will be given 0, 10, 50, 100 or 150 rads
whole-body 60Co gamma radiation at 35 days of gestation.  Dogs in each dose
group will be sacrificed and necropsied as 45 day fetuses, or 6-month-old
puppies.  Evaluation of the persistence, nature and degree of injury to
thymus and other lymphoid tissues will be accomplished using qualitative
histopathology and quantitative histomorphometry.  Morphometry has proven
to be a highly sensitive indicator of injury in this system and will be the
primary method for elucidation of dose-response relationships.  The
postnatal immune system will be evaluated using state of the art procedures
for immune function testing.  Monoclonal antibodies will be used to
enumerate changes in B and T lymphocyte populations in blood and tissues.
Functional tests will include immunoglobulin quantitation and in vitro
assays of B and T cell responses, including evaluation of the function of
T-helper, T-cytoxic and T-suppressor cells, and macrophage function.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3174041
- **Project number:** 5R01CA036456-04
- **Recipient organization:** COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** LT9CXX8L19G1
- **Principal Investigator:** STEVEN BENJAMIN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $40,155
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1985-09-30 → 1989-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3174041

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3174041, PRENATAL THYMIC RADIATION INJURY AND IMMUNE DEVELOPMENT (5R01CA036456-04). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3174041. Licensed CC0.

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