Historically, the development of radioprotective agents has been dominated by the investigation of effects of chemical compounds, particularly aminothiols and phosphoro-thioates. In the last 15 years, there has been an increasing interest in biological modifiers of radiation injury. While chemical protectors seem to influence the development of the initial radiation damage, biological protectors may modulate the repair, recovery and repopulation of critical cell elements. Mechanisms of action, efficacy and practical utilization of the chemical and biological radioprotectors are reviewed.
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