Vaccine against radiation

By Maria Domnitskaya, The Voice of Russia

Scientists at a research center in Vladikavkaz, the capital of Russia’s North Ossetia Republic, have developed a unique vaccine, which neutralizes the radiation exposure on living organisms. Their Japanese colleagues are interested in the vaccine and plan to use it to reduce the level of radiation level of those who involved in clean-up operations after the disaster at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant are being exposed to.

According to Vyacheslav Maliyev, the head of the department of biotechnologies at the Vladikavkaz research center, the Russian scientists are now working in cooperation with the specialists of NASA and the work on the vaccine will soon be completed.

American radiobiologists joined the research in 2006 after the Russian and American vaccines had been tested on animals. The animals, exposed to the radiation level, with which they could live no longer than seven days, were injected with one of the two vaccines. The animals which received the injection of the American vaccine died on the fourth day while the animals injected with the Russian vaccine survived.  Two months later the scientists examined the animals and found no deviations in their organisms.

After that the Russian and American scientists conducted joint research of the vaccine both on animal and human cells. The efficiency of the agent was proved. The vaccine works even if the radiation level exceeds the norm by a thousand times. However the scientists from Vladikavkaz say there are no plans on the clinical use of the vaccine yet.

It usually takes years to test anti-radiation medications because in case of radiation deterioration processes take place on the level of DNA. We hear from Woldemar Tarita, the head of the laboratory of the All-Russian center of acute and radiation medicine of the Emergency Ministry:

“Among the simplest and most available means to reduce the effect of radiation on humans are iodine-based medicines, which protect the thyroid gland. But if the radiation background is normal one should not practice self-treatment using iodine medicines and biologically active additives. Their overdose leads to negative consequences: allergic reactions, nettle rash, fever and different forms of dermatitis. As a preventive measure it is enough to eat sea cabbage.”

On their return from Japan the Russian rescuers will be checked for radiation exposure at the All-Russian center of acute and radiation medicine in St. Petersburg, Tarita says.

“There we have a spectrometer. It is a big iron cell where the presence of the radioactive substances in human organisms can be checked. Now we are waiting for the rescuers, who are now working in Japan. Of course, they are now breathing that air so they can inhale something radioactive. On their return we will check if their organisms were exposed to radiation or not.”

More than 150 Russian rescuers are working at present in the districts of Japan hit by the earthquake and tsunami. They have recovered 112 dead bodies from the ruins. Up till now the radiation background level in the areas where they are working has not exceeded the maximum admissible norm and is 0.3-0.4 microsieverts per hour.