Assess, Detect, and Prevent Occupational Skin Damage from Low-Energy X-Ray and UV-C Radiation using Animal-Free Human Skin Models (ADePT)

Summary

UV and X-ray are different types of photon radiation with a wide variety of industrial and medical applications. UV-C radiation is becoming increasingly utilized, following the COVID-19 pandemic, for disinfecting hospital spaces and surfaces, in addition to its growing use in water treatment, air purification, food processing, etc. Its strong germicidal effects, together with low skin penetration, led to wide-spread adoption, and development of portable UV-C sources for individual use. However, currently applicable safety guidelines were developed for UV-B exposure, without sufficient research on UV-C specific effects on skin, which could mis-represent actual risk and lead to accidental over-exposure.X-ray radiation is an essential tool of modern medical care and is widely used in radiotherapy and medical diagnostics. Potential health risks associated with high X-ray doses, such as those used during radiotherapy, are well understood. On the other hand, the effects of low-energy X-ray (<40 keV), which affects healthy skin inside the X-ray beam path during radiotherapy, and is also relevant in medical diagnostics, need more focused research.To minimize the side-effects of radiotherapy, and enable safe applications of UV-C, laboratory tests on animal-free skin models are an invaluable tool. These novel, multi-cellular in vitro models of human skin will enable thorough testing of different X-ray and UV doses and yield results relevant to human health, without using laboratory animals. Wavelength-specific effects of low-energy X-ray and UV-C on metabolism and function of skin cells, as well as the influence of exposure time, will be determined. Results obtained by this project will help establishing safety parameters for occupational and personal exposure to X-ray and UV-C radiation. Moreover, dissemination efforts and public outreach will be aimed at educating the general populace on the importance of safe uses of radiation in our everyday lives.