Effects of extremely low frequency magnetic fields on NGF induced neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells.
Jung IS, Kim HJ, Noh R, Kim SC, Kim CW. · 2014
View Original AbstractPower line frequency magnetic fields enhanced nerve cell development in lab studies, showing EMF exposure produces significant biological effects.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed nerve cells to 50 Hz magnetic fields (power line frequency) for five days. The magnetic fields enhanced nerve cell growth, increasing nerve extensions and proteins needed for nerve development. This suggests power line frequencies might stimulate nerve regeneration and offer insights for treating neurodegenerative diseases.
Why This Matters
This study reveals something remarkable: extremely low frequency magnetic fields at power line frequencies can actually enhance nerve cell development. The researchers used a 1 milliTesla field, which is roughly 10 times stronger than what you'd experience standing directly under high-voltage transmission lines, but still within the range of therapeutic magnetic devices. What makes this particularly significant is that the cells didn't just survive the EMF exposure - they thrived, growing longer nerve projections and producing more proteins associated with healthy nerve function. While this might sound like good news, it highlights a crucial point about EMF research: biological effects don't always translate to health benefits. The same mechanisms that enhance nerve growth in laboratory conditions could potentially disrupt normal cellular processes in living organisms. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that EMF exposure produces measurable biological changes, even when those changes appear beneficial in isolation.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 1 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- continuous for 1, 3, or 5 days
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
The present study investigated ELF‐MFs effect on nerve growth factor (NGF) induced neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells using proteomic applications to understand its role in the enhancement of neuronal differentiation.
After 50 Hz, 1 mT ELF‐MFs 5‐day exposure on NGF induced PC12 cells, it was observed to increase neur...
The identification of these proteins provides clues to the mechanism of ELF‐MFs stimulation on NGF induced PC12 cells that occur during neuronal differentiation and may contribute to the development novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
Show BibTeX
@article{is_2014_effects_of_extremely_low_112,
author = {Jung IS and Kim HJ and Noh R and Kim SC and Kim CW. },
title = {Effects of extremely low frequency magnetic fields on NGF induced neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells.},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1002/bem.21861},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.21861},
}