Perspectives on ionizing radiation and Parkinson’s disease
Emerging evidence from terrestrial cohorts suggests that ionizing radiation (IR) exposure may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying IR-induced PD is therefore critical for assessing health risks, particularly in the context of long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars. This perspective explores mechanistic pathways that may support causal links between IR and PD and highlights experimental and epidemiological approaches relevant for strengthening causal inference.
Authors
- Egle Cekanaviciute (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3306-1806)
- Lawrence T. Dauer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5629-8462)
- Nilufar Ali (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0010-0821)
- Sylvain V. Costes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8542-2389)
- Kathleen B. Miller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2878-3978)
- Diego Iacono (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5511-0950)
- Gregory Nelson
- Sergey Y. Tolmachev
- Steve Blattnig
- M. Kerry O’Banion
- John D. Boice
- Catherine Davis
- Mandi Beavers
Institutions
- Tulane University (US)
- Boise State University (US)
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation (US)
- Ames Research Center (US)
- Langley Research Center (US)
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US)
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (US)
- Washington State University Tri-Cities (US)
- University of St. Thomas - Minnesota (US)
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- Loma Linda University (US)
- University of Rochester Medical Center (US)
- Analytical Mechanics Associates (United States) (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Parkinson s Disease
- Published
- 2026-07-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-026-01486-6
- Primary Topic
- Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- U.S. Department of Defense
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation
- U.S. Army
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences