Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields activate the ERK cascade, increase hsp70 protein levels and promote regeneration in Planaria
Reba Goodman, Avary Lin-Ye, Matthew S. Geddis, Priya J. Wickramaratne, Susan E. Hodge, Spiro P. Pantazatos, Martin Blank & Richard T. Ambron · 2009
View Original AbstractEMF exposure at 80 milliGauss activated cellular repair mechanisms in regenerating tissue, showing biological systems actively respond to electromagnetic fields.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed flatworms (planaria) to 60 Hz magnetic fields at 80 milliGauss for one hour twice daily during regeneration after being cut in half. The EMF-exposed worms regenerated faster than unexposed controls, with tail portions growing eyes 48 hours earlier and showing increased levels of stress proteins typically associated with healing and repair processes.
Why This Matters
This study demonstrates that extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields can accelerate biological repair mechanisms at the cellular level. The 80 milliGauss exposure used here is roughly 800 times stronger than typical household magnetic field levels (around 0.1 milliGauss), but it's within the range you might encounter very close to electrical appliances or power lines. What makes this research particularly significant is that it shows EMFs don't just cause biological effects - they can actually stimulate healing pathways and stress response proteins. The science demonstrates that living systems respond to EMF exposure by activating the same molecular cascades involved in injury repair, suggesting our bodies recognize these fields as a form of environmental stress requiring a cellular response.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.008 mG
- Source/Device
- 60 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 1 h twice daily for 15 days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.008 mG for magnetic fields:
- 400x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 80x 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
To use regenerating Planaria Dugesia dorotocethala as a model to determine whether an intermittent modulated extremely low frequency electro-magnetic field (ELF-EMF) produces elevated levels of the heat shock protein hsp70 and stimulates intracellular pathways known to be involved in injury and repair. We focused on serum response element (SRE) binding through the extra-cellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascade.
Planaria were transected equidistant between the tip of the head and the tip of the tail. Individual...
ELF-EMF exposure during the initial 3-days post-surgery caused a significant increase in regeneratio...
Exposures to a modulated sinusoidal ELF-EMF were delivered by a Helmholtz configuration at a frequency of 60 Hz and 80 mG twice a day for one hour. This is accompanied by an increase in hsp70 protein levels, activation of specific kinases and upregulation of transcription factors that are generally associated with repair processes.
Show BibTeX
@article{goodman_2009_extremely_low_frequency_electromagnetic_784,
author = {Reba Goodman and Avary Lin-Ye and Matthew S. Geddis and Priya J. Wickramaratne and Susan E. Hodge and Spiro P. Pantazatos and Martin Blank & Richard T. Ambron},
title = {Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields activate the ERK cascade, increase hsp70 protein levels and promote regeneration in Planaria},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1080/09553000903072488},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09553000903072488},
}