Recent Advances in Understanding of Radiation-Induced Skin Tissue Reactions with Respect to Acute Tissue Injury and Late Adverse Effects

August 2025 in “ Journal of Radiation Research ”

Keiko Iwashita, Keiji Suzuki, Mitsuaki Ojima

TLDR Understanding skin reactions to radiation has improved, helping to reduce injuries and prevent skin cancer.

This review discusses recent advances in understanding radiation-induced skin tissue reactions, focusing on both acute injuries and late effects like skin cancer. It highlights the vulnerability of skin to radiation and the ease of evaluating these effects through clinical observation. Recent molecular-level insights have improved our understanding of skin reactions, particularly the roles of epidermal stem cells, immune cells, and key molecules in epidermal regeneration and inflammatory responses. The review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms to mitigate acute injuries and prevent late carcinogenesis due to ionizing radiation.

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