Are Epigenetic Mechanisms Involved in Radiation-Induced Bystander Effects?

The "non-targeted effects" of ionizing radiation including bystander effects and genomic instability are unique in that no classic mutagenic event occurs in the cell showing the effect. In the case of bystander effects, cells which were not in the field affected by the radiation show high levels of mutations, chromosome aberrations, and membrane signaling changes leading to what is termed "horizontal transmission" of mutations and information …