Keep your eye on the target^*

Abstract

This paper provides a historical perspective on the origin and development of Target Theory and how its central concepts have influenced the thought processes of radiation biologists for almost a century.

Keywords:

• Radiation
• target theory

Disclosure statement

The author reports no conflict of interest.

Notes on contributor

Bruce F. Kimler is a classically trained radiation biologist whose research activities have ranged from bacterial spores to cultured mammalian cells to animal tumor and normal tissue model systems to clinical trials. With 50 years’ experience in the field, he is well-positioned to comment on the history of the field.