New radiation treatment lets workers survive 'fatal dose' - even AFTER they've been exposed

The workers dealing with the wreckage caused by the Fukushima disaster may want to take note of the most recent breakthrough in treating radiation poisoning.

Researchers have discovered that mice can survive a lethal dose of radiation if given with a newly discovered double-drug therapy - even if they get the cocktail 24 hours after exposure.

Scientists from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston discovered that the combination treatment helped 80 per cent of mice survive a dose that would usually kill 19 in 20.

Catastrophe: An aerial view of the Fukushima plant taken weeks of the March 11 disaster that triggered a massive radiation leak

Workers don protective gear before entering Fukushima earlier this month. They may be keen to learn of a potential new treatment for radiation poisoning

Radiation kills by damaging rapidly dividing cells in the gut, allowing harmful bacteria to leak from there into the bloodstream.

But the institute's team found that boosting levels of a protein that helps strengthen immune response, while simultaneously treating the mice with an antibiotic, enabled most to recover.

To achieve the results the team, led by Dr Eva Guinan, gave mice a single dose of radiation calculated to kill 95 per cent of them within 30 days.

Twenty-four hours after the radiation poisoning, the mice were given twice daily injections of the protein, combined with an oral antibiotic.

The researchers found that, as well as improving survival rates, the double treatment sped up recovery and promoted the growth of stem and progenitor cells.

Researchers found that a double-drug therapy could radically improve survival rates for mice exposed to usually lethal doses of radiation. (Stock image)

The discovery could help treat workers who have been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation in the wake of nuclear disasters, such as the meltdown at Japan's Fukushima Daichi plant.

The head of the plant, which suffered the world's worst atomic disaster in 25 years earlier this year, was last weekend admitted to hospital - although authorities have denied that his condition has any relation to the catastrophe.

Ill: Fukushima nuclear plant director Masao Yoshida. Authorities deny his condition has any link to the meltdown

Masao Yoshida, 56, was in charge at Fukushima when a massive earthquake and tsunami struck on March 11.

The ensuing reactor meltdowns and radiation leak triggered a mass exodus from the area surrounding the plant and a worldwide rethink on the safety of nuclear energy.

Mr Yoshida had remained on the site for more than eight months since the disaster. Just weeks ago he told journalists that radiation levels in teh compound remained high and it was still dangerous for workers at the site.