Juliann G. Kiang, PhD
Professor
Radiation Biology
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda MD 20814
Office: 301-295-1076
Fax: 301-295-1731
kiang@afrri.usuhs.mil
My research interests are focused on the development of drugs and treatment approaches designed to prevent, mitigate, or reverse health damage resulting from exposure to ionizing radiation.
The potential for exposure to harmful doses of ionizing radiation exists in a wide variety of industries and professions. My effort to identify better radioprotectant drugs focuses on various signal transduction pathways activated by radiation, including the iNOS-caspases pathway, the iNOS-cytokines pathway, and the iNOS-autophagy pathway.
My previous studies showed that HSP-70 inducers and iNOS inhibitors effectively block hemorrhage-induced multiple organ dysfunction syndromes (MODS) and multiple organ failure (MOF), both of which employ biochemical pathways known also to be active in the response to radiation. We are investigating agents that induce HSP-70 and inhibit iNOS as potential countermeasure in a project supported by AFRRI intramural funding.
Radiation exposure combined with other trauma can occur under many of the circumstances. Irradiation combined with trauma such as wounding, burning, bleeding, hypoxia, or sepsis can produce synergistic effects greater than either injury alone. We are investigating radiation exposure combined with wound trauma in vivo and radiation exposure combined with hypoxia in vitro to understand why the augmentation occurs.
Using these models, we are exploring whether upregulation of HSP-70i and downregulation of iNOS can prevent, mitigate, or reverse combined injury. We are also investigating gene repair by ciprofloxacin that might block MODS and MOF. The combined injury project is supported by NIAID/NIH extramural funding. The route of radioprotectant drug administration and its timing is often critical for drug efficacy.
In mass-casualty situations where many people need to be treated promptly, timing and the route of administration can be a limiting factor. We are thus exploring the effectiveness of oral administration of radioprotectant drugs as well as intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and intravenous injection based on patient-operated injector approaches. The project is supported by DTRA extramural funding.
Recent publications
- 2011—Fukumoto R, Kiang JG. Geldanamycin analog 17-DMAG limits apoptosis in human peripheral blood cells by inhibition of p53 activation and its interaction with heat shock protein 90 kDa after ionizing radiation. Radiat Res. 176(3):333–345, 2011.
- 2010—Kiang JG, Jiao W, Cary LH, Mog SR, Elliott TB, Pellmar TC, Ledney GD. Wound trauma increases radiation-induced mortality by activation of iNOS pathway and elevation of cytokine concentrations and bacterial infection. Radiat Res. 173(3):319–332, 2010.
- 2009—Gorbunov NV, Kiang JG. Up-regulation of autophagy in small intestine Paneth cells in response to total-body gamma-irradiation. J Pathol. 219(2):242–252, 2009.
- 2008—Kiang JG, Krishnan S, Lu X, Li Y. Inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase protects human T cells from hypoxia-induced injury. Mol Pharmacol 73:738–747, 2008.
Department
Research
Faculty
Graduate Education
AFRRI
Contact
Christopher R. Lissner, PhD, M(ASCP)
CAPT, MSC, USN Ret.
Scientific Director
Armed Forces Radiobiology Research
Institute & Acting Chair, Department
of Radiation Biology, School of Medicine,
Uniformed Services University
of the Health Sciences
Building 42, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, Maryland 20889-5603
lissner@afrri.usuhs.mil
Tel 301-295-4995
FAX 301-295-4967
The image below is that of an announcement appearing in Radiation Research, the official journal of the Radiation Research Society, for the USU PhD Program in Radiation Biology. Click the image to go to the home page of Radiation Research.
