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Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Cancer & Tumors

Absence of 60-Hz, 0.1-mT magnetic field-induced changes in oncogene transcription rates or levels in CEM- CM3 cells

No Effects Found

Authors not listed · 1998

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60 Hz magnetic fields at power line frequencies failed to activate cancer genes in human cells despite using strong field exposure.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed human leukemia cells to 60 Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as power lines) for up to 2 hours to test whether this EMF could activate cancer-promoting genes. They found no changes in oncogene activity, contradicting earlier claims that power line frequencies could trigger cancer gene expression.

Why This Matters

This study represents a crucial attempt to replicate controversial findings about power line EMF and cancer gene activation. The researchers specifically tried to reproduce earlier work claiming that 60 Hz magnetic fields could turn on oncogenes (cancer-promoting genes) in human cells. Their failure to replicate these findings highlights a persistent challenge in EMF research: the difficulty of consistently reproducing biological effects. The 0.1 mT field strength used here is actually quite strong compared to typical household exposures, which rarely exceed 0.01 mT even directly under power lines. What makes this study particularly valuable is its rigorous methodology, including proper sham controls and multiple measurement techniques. The negative results don't prove EMF is harmless, but they do suggest that if power line frequencies affect cancer gene expression, the effect is either much subtler than originally claimed or occurs under very specific conditions that weren't present in this experimental setup.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 60 Hz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Unknown (1998). Absence of 60-Hz, 0.1-mT magnetic field-induced changes in oncogene transcription rates or levels in CEM- CM3 cells.
Show BibTeX
@article{absence_of_60_hz_01_mt_magnetic_field_induced_changes_in_oncogene_transcription_rates_or_levels_in_cem_cm3_cells_ce1566,
  author = {Unknown},
  title = {Absence of 60-Hz, 0.1-mT magnetic field-induced changes in oncogene transcription rates or levels in CEM- CM3 cells},
  year = {1998},
  doi = {10.1016/S0167-4781(98)00238-3},
  
}
DOI: 10.1016/S0167-4781(98)00238-3PubMed: 9878814

Quick Questions About This Study

This study found no evidence that 60 Hz magnetic fields at 0.1 mT strength activated oncogenes (cancer-promoting genes) in human leukemia cells, even after 2 hours of exposure, contradicting earlier research claims.
The 0.1 mT field strength used was approximately 10 times stronger than typical exposures under power lines, making this a high-exposure test that still produced no detectable gene activation effects.
Researchers specifically measured c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc oncogenes, which are important cancer-promoting genes. None showed increased transcription rates or elevated levels after magnetic field exposure compared to control conditions.
The CEM-CM3 human leukemia cell line showed no detectable response to 60 Hz magnetic field exposure, with gene expression remaining unchanged across all tested time points from 15 minutes to 2 hours.
Despite using similar methods and cell types, this study failed to replicate earlier findings of EMF-induced oncogene activation, highlighting reproducibility challenges that are common in EMF biological effects research.