Mechanism of a short-term ERK activation by electromagnetic fields at mobile phone frequency.
Friedman J, Kraus S, Hauptman Y, Schiff Y, Seger R. · 2007
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation triggers a molecular chain reaction in cells starting with oxidative stress, though this particular study was later retracted.
Plain English Summary
Researchers studied how cell phone radiation affects cellular signaling pathways within cells. They discovered that mobile phone frequencies trigger a specific chain reaction: the radiation causes cells to produce reactive oxygen species (free radicals), which then activate enzymes that release growth factors, ultimately switching on cellular processes that control gene expression. This was the first study to map out the complete molecular pathway showing how non-thermal cell phone radiation directly affects cellular function.
Why This Matters
This research was groundbreaking because it provided the first detailed molecular explanation for how cell phone radiation affects living cells, even at non-thermal levels that don't heat tissue. The study identified a specific biochemical cascade triggered by mobile phone frequencies, starting with oxidative stress and ending with changes in gene expression. However, readers should know this study was retracted in 2024 after an expression of concern was issued in 2020, likely due to questions about research integrity or reproducibility. While the retraction doesn't necessarily invalidate the biological mechanisms described, it does highlight the importance of independent replication in EMF research. The broader scientific literature continues to document various cellular effects from radiofrequency exposure, making this an active area of investigation despite controversies around individual studies.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
In the present study, we have studied the immediate effect of irradiation on the MAPK cascades
Found that ERKs, but not stress-related MAPKs, are rapidly activated in response to various frequenc...
Thus this study demonstrates for the first time a detailed molecular mechanism by which electromagnetic irradiation from mobile phones induces the activation of the ERK cascade and thereby induces transcription and other cellular processes.
Show BibTeX
@article{j_2007_mechanism_of_a_shortterm_2088,
author = {Friedman J and Kraus S and Hauptman Y and Schiff Y and Seger R.},
title = {Mechanism of a short-term ERK activation by electromagnetic fields at mobile phone frequency.},
year = {2007},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17456048/},
}