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

Cellular Effects

Gene expression changes in human cells after exposure to mobile phone microwaves.

No Effects Found

Remondini D, Nylund R, Reivinen J, Poulletier de Gannes F, Veyret B, Lagroye I, Haro E, Trillo MA, Capri M, Franceschi C, Schlatterer K, Gminski R, Fitzner R, Tauber R, Schuderer J, Kuster N, Leszczynski D, Bersani F, Maercker C. · 2006

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Mobile phone radiation altered gene activity in some human cells but didn't trigger stress responses, showing biological effects without apparent harm.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed six different types of human cells to mobile phone frequencies (900 and 1800 MHz) and analyzed whether the radiation changed gene activity patterns. Three cell types showed no changes, while three others had small numbers of genes (12-34) that became more or less active, particularly genes involved in protein production. The changes didn't indicate cellular stress or damage responses.

Why This Matters

This study represents an important piece of the cellular effects puzzle, showing that mobile phone radiation can alter gene expression in some human cell types but not others. What's particularly noteworthy is that the observed changes didn't trigger stress response pathways - the cellular alarm systems that typically activate when cells encounter harmful conditions. Instead, some cells showed increased activity in genes related to ribosomal proteins, which are involved in normal protein synthesis. The fact that different cell types responded differently suggests that EMF sensitivity may vary significantly across tissues and organs in the human body. While this study found no evidence of cellular damage, it does demonstrate that mobile phone frequencies can influence cellular behavior at the molecular level, adding to our understanding of how EMF exposure affects living systems.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 1.80 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 1.80 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 and 1800 MHz

Study Details

Possible biological effects of mobile phone microwaves were investigated in vitro.

In this study, which was part of the 5FP EU project REFLEX (Risk Evaluation of Potential Environment...

NB69 neuroblastoma cells, T lymphocytes, and CHME5 microglial cells did not show significant changes...

Cite This Study
Remondini D, Nylund R, Reivinen J, Poulletier de Gannes F, Veyret B, Lagroye I, Haro E, Trillo MA, Capri M, Franceschi C, Schlatterer K, Gminski R, Fitzner R, Tauber R, Schuderer J, Kuster N, Leszczynski D, Bersani F, Maercker C. (2006). Gene expression changes in human cells after exposure to mobile phone microwaves. Proteomics. 6(17):4745-4754, 2006.
Show BibTeX
@article{d_2006_gene_expression_changes_in_3330,
  author = {Remondini D and Nylund R and Reivinen J and Poulletier de Gannes F and Veyret B and Lagroye I and Haro E and Trillo MA and Capri M and Franceschi C and Schlatterer K and Gminski R and Fitzner R and Tauber R and Schuderer J and Kuster N and Leszczynski D and Bersani F and Maercker C.},
  title = {Gene expression changes in human cells after exposure to mobile phone microwaves.},
  year = {2006},
  
  url = {https://hal-ephe.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00161025/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

A 2006 study found mixed results when human cells were exposed to 900 MHz radiation. Three cell types showed no gene expression changes, while three others had 12-34 genes become more or less active, primarily affecting protein production rather than cellular stress responses.
Research on NB69 neuroblastoma cells exposed to 1800 MHz mobile phone frequencies showed no significant changes in gene expression. The study found these brain tumor cells were unaffected by the microwave radiation at mobile phone frequencies.
Yes, endothelial cells (EA.hy926) showed gene expression changes when exposed to mobile phone frequencies, while neuroblastoma and T lymphocyte cells did not. The affected genes were mainly involved in ribosomal protein production, not stress responses.
Three of six cell types tested showed sensitivity: EA.hy926 endothelial cells, U937 lymphoblastoma cells, and HL-60 leukemia cells. These cells had 12-34 genes change activity levels, while neuroblastoma, T lymphocyte, and microglial cells showed no changes.
No, the 2006 gene expression study found no evidence of cellular stress responses. While some cell types had genes change activity after 900 and 1800 MHz exposure, the affected genes were related to protein production, not stress or damage pathways.