Radioprotective substances: History, trends and prospects

The search for efficient radioprotective substances that alleviate various effects of ionizing radiation has been going on for more than 6 decades. The chronology of the major discoveries in this field and the changes in opinions, trends, and paradigms are considered in the present review. Various classes of chemical compounds that can be administered either before or after irradiation to protect biological objects from short- and long-term effects of ionizing radiation are considered. Dose-modifying factors, recommended time of administration, tissue specificity, and the toxicity of different classes of radioprotective substances are considered and the mechanisms that underlie the actions, as well as the practical applications, of these substances, are described. A section of this review is dedicated to future prospects and the directions of research on radioprotective substances. © 2015, Pleiades Publishing, Inc.