Radiation and Immunity in the Context of Cytomegalovirus and Aging

Abstract

The impact of ionizing radiation exposure on the immune system is dramatic and potentially lethal. The mechanism behind the radiosensitivity of immune subsets has been the concern of researchers for decades, while the long-term effects of radiation exposure in youth have been scarcely explored. The life-long impact of very prevalent latent human viruses, such as Cytomegalovirus (CMV), have recently been brought to the forefront of aging research. However, most short and long-term studies of radiation on the immune system have been performed with animals devoid of latent viruses. Here we describe an innate cause for immune subset radiosensitivity differences, and introduce a post-exposure intervention. We also describe the effects of latent CMV on acute immune sensitivity. Further, we discover that the long-term impact of radiation exposure on the immune system is dependent on whether or not latent CMV was present at the time of exposure. These findings intersect with the research fields of DNA repair, radiobiology, virology, aging, basic immunity, and stand to inform future radiation policy and research.