Effects on protein kinase C and gene expression in a human mast cell line, HMC-1, following microwave exposure.
Harvey C, French PW · 2000
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation altered gene expression in immune cells at 7 W/kg exposure, proving non-thermal biological effects occur below heating thresholds.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed human immune cells to microwave radiation at 864.3 MHz for 20 minutes daily over seven days. The exposure altered key cellular proteins and changed gene expression related to cell growth and death, even at temperatures too low to cause heating effects.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that microwave radiation affects cells through mechanisms beyond simple heating. The researchers used a SAR of 7 W/kg, which is higher than typical cell phone exposures (around 1-2 W/kg) but within ranges that can occur with certain devices held close to the body. What makes this research particularly significant is that the effects occurred at temperatures well below those that would trigger heat shock responses, definitively ruling out thermal mechanisms. The altered gene expression patterns, including changes to proto-oncogenes and apoptosis-related genes, suggest that RF radiation may influence fundamental cellular processes that control growth and cell death. This adds to a growing body of evidence showing that the current safety standards, which are based solely on preventing tissue heating, may not adequately protect against biological effects occurring through non-thermal pathways.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 7 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 864.3 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 20-min duration daily for 7 days
Exposure Context
This study used 7 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 17.5x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The aim of this study is to investigate Effects on protein kinase C and gene expression in a human mast cell line, HMC-1, following microwave exposure.
We used a resonant cavity which delivered a continuous wave exposure at 864.3 MHz at an average spec...
The temperature of the cell culture medium during the exposure fell to 26.5 degrees C. Effects were ...
We conclude that low-power microwave exposure may act on HMC-1 cells by altering gene expression via a mechanism involving activation of protein kinase C, and at temperatures well below those known to induce a heat shock response.
Show BibTeX
@article{c_2000_effects_on_protein_kinase_1017,
author = {Harvey C and French PW},
title = {Effects on protein kinase C and gene expression in a human mast cell line, HMC-1, following microwave exposure.},
year = {2000},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10736198/},
}