Differential Effects of X-Rays and High-Energy 56Fe Ions on Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

56Fe ions exert more significant effects on hMSC than X-rays. Since hMSC are the progenitors of osteoblasts in vivo, this study provides new mechanistic understandings of the relative health risks associated with low- and high-dose X-rays and high-LET space radiation.