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pubmed:abstractText |
Melanins are high-molecular-weight pigments that are ubiquitous in nature and can also be synthesized in the laboratory from a variety of precursors. Melanins possess numerous interesting physicochemical characteristics, including electromagnetic radiation absorption properties and ability to chelate metals. We have recently reported that melanin has remarkable ionizing-radiation-shielding properties, possibly because it can interact with photons via Compton scattering. We hypothesized that, if administered internally, melanin could play a beneficial role by scavenging various radionuclides, in addition to radiation shielding.
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