Research on the biological effects of ionizing radiation is being supported or conducted by the following departments and agencies:

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Bureau of Standards

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE

Office of Health Research, Statistics, and Technology
National Center for Health Statistics

Center for Disease Control

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Bureau of Epidemiology

Food and Drug Administration
Bureau of Radiologic Health

National Institutes of Health

National Cancer Institute

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

VETERANS ADMINISTRATION

, EDUCATION

The exceptionally tight schedule we have accepted to develop a Federal strategy on research into the biological effects of ionizing radiation requires that we proceed expeditiously. Accordingly, I will convene the first meeting of the Subcommittee as follows.

Our goal for Tuesday is to structure a meeting of non-Federal
consultants to be held during the week of November 5. Based on
availability of space, we have tentatively identified the 7th of
November for this event.

To meet this responsibility, the Subcommittee must accomplish a
number of tasks.

1. Review the draft strategy distributed at the Committee meeting
on September 25, making additions, deletions, or changes as required.
The product produced at this meeting on October 9 should be sufficiently
complete to provide the frame of reference for discussions at the larger
meeting on November 7.

2. Identify non-Federal consultants (3-6 in each primary research area identified in the strategy) to meet on November 7.

3. Prepare a list of prospective authors for position papers covering
both disciplinary areas and cross cutting issues. These scientists
must be senior investigators with the skill, knowledge, and perspective
to prepare authoritative statements in areas to be identified by the
Subcommittee.

Subcommittee to develop Federal Research Strategy into
Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation

While for tasks 2 and 3 you should be prepared to name scientists that will address research issues of importance to your agency, you can feel free to consider the needs of other Federal programs.

NIH will assume responsibility for logistic support of the November conference and, I would anticipate that subcommittee members will all play vital parts in that meeting. The actual roles can be defined with greater precision at our meeting on October 9, or at such subsequent meetings as the Subcommittee deems necessary.

For your convenience, I am enclosing copies of the relevant material distributed at the meeting of the parent Committee on September 25.

I hope you understand the issues which prompt me to move ahead with such urgency. We all have a vital stake in the success of the final product.

بي

Fredwebon

Donald S. Frédrickson, M.D.

Enclosures

2. Interpretation of In Vitro Cell Testing - Extrapolation from in vitro to in vivo

Dose rate issues, temporal effects (latent periods)

II. Radiation chemistry and radiation modifiers in biological systems

A. Damage and repair processes (normal and tumor cells)

B. End effects

1. cell killing

2. mutagenesis

3.

transformation

4. developmental processes

C. Interactions with viruses and chemicals

D. Genetic determinants

IV. Genetic effects (hereditary)

A. Chromosome breakage

B. Gene mutation - extrapolation from experimental systems to humans (EFESTH)

C. Cumulative effects

D. Long range effects

1. background genetic disease

sensitive populations

2.

3.

rate of discount for future disease

V.

Somatic effects

A. Cancer

tissue and cell sensitivity, inducibility, incidence time course of events

projection models of future disease risk

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. dose response models