p53-loss mitigates early volume deficits in the brains of irradiated young mice.

While p53 is known to play an important role in mediating radiation-induced apoptosis, this is the first study to look at the cumulative effect of p53KO through development after cranial irradiation across the entire brain. It is clear that apoptosis plays an important role in volume loss early after radiotherapy. While this early preservation alone was insufficient to normalize brain development on the whole, regions reliant on neurogenesis exhibited a significant benefit.