Title : From the birth of atoms to life: Iodine and caesium, angels and demons of evolutionary biology, in pancreatic cancer and diabetes
Abstract:
The Chernobyl nuclear accident in 26 April 1986 marked a turning point in both the history of energy production and our understanding of the relationship between human technology and the life. J.R. Oppenheimer evoked the famous words from the Hindu scripture, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds", reflecting the profound realisation that nuclear fission represent a significant departure from the natural history of matter. Life evolved within a stable isotopic environment shaped by cosmic nucleosynthesis and long-term biological selection. Essential elements such as iodine were progressively integrated into conserved biochemical pathways, including antioxidant and regulatory mechanisms. However, nuclear fission has introduced a large-scale anthropogenic production of radioactive isotopes that were absent from this evolutionary context. The damage caused by artificial radionuclides, particularly iodine-131 and cesium-137, is now clearly visible. These isotopes are chemically mimicking essential biological elements but fundamentally differing in their radiophysical properties. By exploiting conserved molecular and cellular transport pathways, these isotopes create a mismatch between biochemical recognition and radiological behavior. These artificial radionuclides interfere with cellular signaling and cause genetic and metabolic disorders, including pancreatic cancer and diabetes, which are of significant interest to biochemists, radiobiologists and public health experts.
Keywords: Iodine-131, Caesium-137, Low-dose radiation, Pancreas Cancer and Diabetes
