Radiosensitivity Analysis – RAPID Project Questionnaire: fill in the survey by June 5th!

Patients with Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEI) or DNA repair defects may show increased sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. They are at risk to develop secondary malignancies or specific toxicities when exposed to diagnostic/therapeutic radiation or chemotherapeutic radiomimetic agents.

The National Reference Center (NRC) at Ghent University Hospital is a unique facility offering radiosensitivity assessment for these patients by means of the G0-micronucleus assay. In this assay, micronuclei are analyzed in the patient's lymphocytes after in vitro irradiation of a blood culture. Micronuclei are chromosome fragments that are formed when radiation-induced DNA double strand breaks are not repaired or misrepaired by the cell. For example, in ataxia telangiectasia (AT) patients, a typical genetic disorder characterized by increased radiation sensitivity, the number of micronuclei is about 3- to 5-fold higher compared to healthy controls.

Our NRC is supported by the Sciensano Belgian Health Institute. The radiosensitivity analysis by means of the G0-micronucleus assay is BELAC-accredited according to the ISO norm 15189 and is fully reimbursed to the patient by the RIZIV.

Our NRC is also supported by a FWO-TBM project (RAPID). Team: Anne Vral, Filomeen Haerynck, Kathleen Claes, Carolien Bonroy, Ans Baeyens, Vicky Bordon, Tessa Kerre.

As you may know, this project is set to end this year and we need to request an extension of the contract with Sciensano in order to continue reimbursement by RIZIV/INAMI.

The purpose of the survey is to evaluate the level of interest in radiosensitivity research and its clinical applications, and we would greatly appreciate it if you could fill in this google form before 5 June (it shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes).