Effect of fluorescence in situ hybridization detection threshold on chromosome aberration counting: a simulation study

Our new chromosome aberration classification approach allows us to go beyond FISH detection limitations and quantify how they impact aberration yields. Our simulation results suggest that, for high LET exposure, 3-FISH underestimates the total number of exchanges as well as their complexity, due to the inability to detect small fragments and intra-chromosomal rearrangements. Future work will focus on optimizing the model parameters to better reproduce low LET measurements. Once validated, RITCARD predictions may be used in the NASA cancer model to inform radiation quality factors as part of an ensemble framework. We also intend to investigate how predictions obtained with partial chromosome staining (3-FISH) compares with predictions obtained with whole genome staining (mFISH), and how both compare with predictions of true exchanges, where all exchanges are accounted for, included those undetectable by traditional FISH such as inversion or small deletions.