General principles of developing novel radioprotective agents for nuclear emergency

With the rapid application of nuclear energy and radiological technology in national economy and military field, the risk of nuclear accidents increases as well. Exposure to irradiation causes severe damages to the human body, and radioprotective agents are required for medical protection. To find the safe and effective radioprotective agents is the key for nuclear emergency. Recently, Toll like receptors (TLRs) and PHD-HIF oxygen sensing signal pathway have been extensively studied for radioprotection. Great progress has been made in this field and a number of radioprotective agents have been found. In this review, we have summarized recent findings of radioprotective roles of TLRs signaling pathway and PHD-HIF signaling pathway and discussed the general principles of developing novel radioprotective agents. These findings will provide opportunities for developing new strategies to prevent IR-induced injuries in public health events.