One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness - io9 Comments

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

CosmosKevin — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:13:44 PDT

The new issue of Science magazine (April 11, 2008) has a peer-reviewed study examining radiation resistance in monkeys and mice after taking Protectan. [www.sciencemag.org]

After learning about this class of drugs, my first thought was whether it could be applied to human spaceflight. For example, astronauts on the ISS receive 40-80 times as much radiation exposure as someone on Earth. I've posted some possibilities and questions here: [www.kevinabarnes.com]

CosmosKevin

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Cin — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:35:34 PDT

@Crimson (PS3 ID Black--Tiger): Ummm, no duh? The Japanese Miracle from GitS cleaned up fallout, thus making the area habitable and safe. This just mitigates the effects of exposure to lethal amounts of radiation. They're no even close to the same thing. Did you even bother to read the article before making assumptions about what they're talking about and making an unnecessary clarification?

Cin

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Jeff-Minor — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:19:23 PDT

How will this stuff prevent gross physical damage from large particles that are traveling at close to c? How about gamma rays? I don't anything short of a "shield" will protect astronauts.

Jeff-Minor

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Crimson (PS3 ID Black--Tiger) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:43:53 PDT

I just came in here to mutter about how this isn't the Japanese Miracle we're all waiting for to make Nuclear Exchange a half-assed threat [See, Ghost in the Shell, Japanese Miracle]

Crimson (PS3 ID Black--Tiger)

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

botanicidal — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:09:07 PDT

@BlindKarma:
Agreed. Apoptosis will be the best option after any exposure to ionizing radiation. You don't want any of those molecularly masticated cells surviving and going all cancery on you. Bleh. Cure for radiation poisoning, my foot.

botanicidal

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

BlindKarma — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:34:24 PDT

But who's going to go in and do the clean up when the 25% of those primate suvivors decide that we have to be destroyed for what we did to them?

After some of the films I've seen about Acute Radiation Sickness I'd rather just go then be stuck with half the problems that will happen in the long run.

There are seven types of cellular damage that can happen because of ionizing radiation - Apoptosis being my favorite.

BlindKarma

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Mathmos — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:05:23 PDT

@Pouncer: Another possibility is somehow utilizing the hyperactive DNA repair mechanisms that allow some bacteria to survive extreme doses of radiation.

Mathmos

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

cde — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:10:26 PDT

So does that mean we will finally be able to go to the moon, for reals this time?

Maybe Russia will atleast, nolonger having to deal with cosmic radiation.

cde

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

z3rks — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:46:17 PDT

@AlfaCharger:

Don't forget about duck-and-cover...under your desk, a nearby car, a picnic blanket...

Obey your civil-defense worker!
[www.archive.org]

z3rks

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

CantankerousDave — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:49:56 PDT

@Twilightred: But in a pinch, a belt of cheap vodka will get the job done. ^_^ (Counting the days 'til Clear Sky comes out.)

CantankerousDave

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

AlfaCharger — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:08:53 PDT

One of the Great Films ever made on this subject.

[video.google.com]

AlfaCharger

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Pouncer — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:39:48 PDT

@ratlas: I remember reading about that! (In fact, for anybody else who wants to know more: [www.scienceblog.com])

Gene therapy is another possibility: [www.scienceblog.com]

Or maybe radiation isn't really so catastrophic? [www.spiegel.de]

Pretty pictures of our eventual apocalpyse from a French nuclear test in 1968: [flickr.com]

Pouncer

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

FrankenPC — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:29:19 PDT

Sorry...but a pill isn't going to protect you against a gamma-ray burst. No matter how expensive it is LOL!

FrankenPC

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

DeepFriar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:14:12 PDT

Wanna know what else helps with nausea? Pot.
Just throwing that out there.

DeepFriar

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Belabras — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:12:08 PDT

@gods-n-clods:
Protectan (tm) - I hate your commercials, but love your product!

Protectan (tm) - Apply directly to the forehead.

Oy, it hurt just to type that.

Belabras

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Dug — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:05:23 PDT

Cool, so your death by radiation wont make you throw up. When your skin is falling off in big sheets, at least you will not be nauseated!

Dug

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

AlfaCharger — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:43:15 PDT

There go all the lessons I learned in Middle School about surviving a Nuclear Attack. (The Top Tank of your toilet is a very good source of fresh water. Get the Bodies out of the shelter. Decaying Corpes are not your friend. All safe after two weeks.)

AlfaCharger

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

gods-n-clods — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:40:58 PDT

Protectan (tm) - Apply directly to the forehead.
Protectan (tm) - Apply directly to the forehead.

gods-n-clods

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

ManchuCandidate — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:39:04 PDT

@Huxleyhobbes:
Heh. Fallout fuck yeah!

ManchuCandidate

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Nobiai — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:37:31 PDT

No need to pay $200, just loot em off the bodies of dead Stalkers you may come across. Be sure to scan the horizon for mutant wild dogs before you put down your Kalashnikov though.

Nobiai

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Mathmos — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:37:02 PDT

Not sure it's a similar approach to Cleveland BioLabs', but researchers at Rice University found that delivering antioxidants in carbon nanotubes increased their efficacy at reducing the effects f radiation by a factor of 5,000.

Mathmos

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Oxfordian — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:36:48 PDT

Huh I always thought the radiation meds in Battlestar stretched my disbelief threshhold; then I find they might already exist? Fascinating.

Oxfordian

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

amorphous — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:33:39 PDT

In the event of radioactive zombie attack, I recommend whole milk.

amorphous

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

92BuickLeSabre — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:33:39 PDT

Clever name...

92BuickLeSabre

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Mister Adequate — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:27:05 PDT

I don't trust any anti-radiation stuff that has any name aside from Rad Away or Rad-X

Mister Adequate

One Pill Could Cure Radiation Sickness

Log1c — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:26:21 PDT

So it prevents the sickness part? but what about the tissue damage associated with being hit by high energy particles? I think you'll need more than a pill for that.

Log1c