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In the framework of the 21st Century COE Program “International
Consortium for Medical Care of Hibakusha and Radiation Life Science”,
a world-class academic research consortium, we intend to establish
a pivotal center for education/research, with close focus on local
populations in Chernobyl and Semipalatinsk, as well as on Atomic
bomb survivors. Moreover, in the context of social issues, including
the NPP construction rush in Asia, radioactive waste disposal and
expanding medical exposure, the COE will emphasize education/research
in the three disciplines: (1) international radiation health sciences;
(2) A-bomb disease medicine, and (3) radiation basic life sciences.
Interdisciplinary approaches will be employed to enhance the quality
of individual educational/research projects and to integrate basic
and clinical research. Specifically, we will link bench work at
laboratories with world-scale fieldworks unique to Nagasaki University;
that is, medical cooperation and academic joint research on the
radio-contaminated area and the radiation-exposed populations, with
the aim of benefiting the public from the research outcomes.
To this end, it is critical to establish a discipline of “Radiation
Health Risk Control” based on research in the world’s
radiation-exposed populations, and to develop “human resources” who
will become leading figures in the field of radiation medical sciences
worldwide in cooperation with the research institutes in the US
and Europe, WHO and other international organizations. The COE finally
seeks to make Japan-driven, creative, social and international contributions.
Through interdisciplinary attempts to link A-bomb disease medicine
and international medical care for Hibakusha with radiation basic
life sciences, we seek to establish a scientific organization for
risk assessment at both the population and individual levels. Furthermore,
comprehensive educational/research organization for radiation health
effects regarding internal and external exposures will be established,
and the discipline will be also established in “Radiation
Health Risk Control,” which will emphasize risk communications
with Hibakusha, thereby developing comprehensive “Medical
Care for Hibakusha.”
The overall target of the three fields, international radiation
health science research, A-bomb disease medical research and radiation
basic life science research combined, is to promote molecular epidemiological
survey/study and basic research on radiation carcinogenesis, in
collaboration with overseas centers for field works and COE research
centers in the US and Europe, thereby establishing a “novel
discipline providing scientific evidence for radiation health risk
assessment/management” at the individual level, as well as
at the population levels. These achievements will be integrated
so as to emerge in 5 years as new interdisciplinary development
in the form of “Medical Care for Hibakusha” and “Radiation
Health Risk Control”. Therefore concrete targets for achievement
in research activities are as follows.
- Scientific Research aspect
(1)
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Identification of signature gene(s) or sensitive gene groups
relating to radiation carcinogenesis. |
| (2) |
Molecular biochemical, molecular pathological and molecular
biological characterization of radio-responsive gene groups involved
in chromosomal/genetic instability. |
| (3) |
Elucidation of differences in molecular mechanism of carcinogenesis
between early and late carcinogenesis in the same organs in the
young exposed. |
- Medical aspect
(1)
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Planning and implementation of international joint research
projects for medical care for Hibakusha, and establishment of
the guidelines for radiation safety for low-dose exposure. |
| (2) |
Establishment of comprehensive holistic medical care for
A-bomb survivors. |
| (3) |
Development of radiation health risk assessment at the individual
levels as well as at the population levels. |
- Socio-medical aspect
(1)
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Formulation of the world-standard radiation health risk management
program and safety guidelines for radiation exposure, as part
of joint programs with WHO, IAEA and COE research centers in
the US and Europe. |
| (2) |
Provision of guidelines in the field of medical radiation
exposure and radiation emergency. |
| (3) |
Implementation of education/training program in the field
of radiation medicine, which thus far has targeted the former
USSR, in Asian countries (particularly those with increasing
nuclear power plants) so as to establish an Asian network for
comprehensive cooperation in medical care for Hibakusha, as well
as an Asian network for radiation emergency. |
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