iThemba LABS 1 article published in JoVE Cancer Research An Automated Microscopic Scoring Method for the γ-H2AX Foci Assay in Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes Shankari Nair1, Samantha Cairncross2, Xanthene Miles1, Monique Engelbrecht3, Peter du Plessis1, Julie Bolcaen1, Randall Fisher1, Roya Ndimba1, Charnay Cunningham4, Wilner Martínez-López5, Christian Schunck6, Charlot Vandevoorde1 1Radiation Biophysics Division, Nuclear Medicine Department, iThemba LABS, 2Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, 3Department of Medical Biosciences, University of the Western Cape, 4Division of Medical Physiology, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, 5Biodosimetry Service, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable and Academic Unit on Radiation Protection, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Republic, 6MetaSystems Hard & Software GmbH This protocol presents the slide preparation and automated scoring of the γ-H2AX foci assay on peripheral blood lymphocytes. To illustrate the method and sensitivity of the assay, isolated lymphocytes were irradiated in vitro. This automated method of DNA DSB detection is useful for fast and high-throughput biological dosimetry applications.
