Mechanisms of DNA Lesion Formation: Applications in Radiotherapy, Space Exploration, and Nuclear Triage

Dear Colleagues,

DNA damage is a central event in radiation biology, influencing cellular fate, genome stability, and therapeutic outcomes. This Special Issue bridges the gap between clinical oncology, astronaut health, and emergency preparedness. We seek cutting-edge research that elucidates the physical, physico-chemical, chemical, and biological processes driving DNA lesion formation (base damage, sugar damage, strand breaks (single and double strand breaks), clustered lesions, tandem lesions including complex crosslinks) across both terrestrial and extreme environments.

Topics of interest include the following:

• Clinical Radiotherapy: Role of DNA lesions in tumor radiosensitivity, resistance, and targeting pathways for enhanced therapy.
• Space Radiobiology: DNA damage from high-LET cosmic radiation (HZE particles) and the synergistic effects of microgravity on repair fidelity.
• Nuclear Accident Triage: Development of rapid, high-throughput DNA-based biomarkers (e.g., γ-H2AX, dicentric assays) for mass-casualty biodosimetry.
• Extreme Dosimetry: Mechanisms of damage from internal emitters (radionuclides) and environmental accidental exposure.
• Advanced Modeling: Computational and biophysical modeling of complex DNA damage in diverse radiation fields.
• Personalized Medicine: Applications of DNA damage signatures in predicting individual responses to radiation.

Why submit to this Special Issue?

• Interdisciplinary Impact: Reach communities in radiation oncology, NASA/space biology, and nuclear safety.
• High Visibility: Open-access publication in a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to DNA research.
• Rapid Publication: Efficient editorial processing for timely dissemination of critical findings.
• Translational Focus: Contributes directly to advances in cancer therapy, astronaut safety, and global radiation protection.

Dr. Amitava Adhikary
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. DNA is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.