Fifty-hertz magnetic field affects the epigenetic modulation of the miR-34b/c in neuronal cells.
Consales C, Cirotti C, Filomeni G, Panatta M, Butera A, Merla C, Lopresto V, Pinto R, Marino C, Benassi B · 2018
View Original AbstractPower frequency magnetic fields alter brain cell gene regulation and increase proteins linked to neurodegeneration at levels found near power lines.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed brain cells to 50 Hz magnetic fields from power lines and found the fields altered protective gene activity and increased production of a protein linked to Parkinson's disease, suggesting power line frequencies may interfere with the brain's natural cellular defenses.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a concerning mechanism by which power frequency magnetic fields may contribute to neurodegeneration. The researchers found that 1 milliTesla exposure - a level you might encounter near high-voltage power lines or some industrial equipment - triggers epigenetic changes that reduce the brain's natural protective systems while increasing harmful protein production. What makes this particularly significant is that these effects occurred through direct changes to how genes are regulated, not just through oxidative stress as previously thought. The science demonstrates that EMF exposure can fundamentally alter cellular programming in ways that may predispose neurons to the kind of damage seen in neurodegenerative diseases. While this was laboratory research, it adds to growing evidence that our nervous systems are more vulnerable to electromagnetic interference than regulatory agencies acknowledge.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 1 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
Exposure Context
This study used 1 mG for magnetic fields:
- 50Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 10Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
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
We here aimed at assessing if the control of gene expression mediated by miRNAs, namely miRs-34, has any roles in driving neuronal cell response to 50-Hz (1 mT) magnetic field in vitro.
We demonstrate that ELF-MFs drive an early reduction of the expression level of miR-34b and miR-34c ...
Altogether, our data highlight the potential of the ELF-MFs to tune redox homeostasis and epigenetic control of gene expression in vitro and shed light on the possible mechanism(s) producing detrimental effects and predisposing neurons to degeneration.
Show BibTeX
@article{c_2018_fiftyhertz_magnetic_field_affects_340,
author = {Consales C and Cirotti C and Filomeni G and Panatta M and Butera A and Merla C and Lopresto V and Pinto R and Marino C and Benassi B},
title = {Fifty-hertz magnetic field affects the epigenetic modulation of the miR-34b/c in neuronal cells.},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1007/s12035-017-0791-0},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12035-017-0791-0},
}