Electromagnetic fields induce neural differentiation of human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells via ROS mediated EGFR activation.
Park JE, Seo YK, Yoon HH, Kim CW, Park JK, Jeon S · 2013
View Original AbstractPower-frequency magnetic fields force stem cells to become nerve cells by triggering oxidative stress pathways, showing EMFs directly control cellular development.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed human bone marrow stem cells to 50 Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as power lines) at 1 milliTesla for several days. They found that this EMF exposure triggered the stem cells to transform into nerve cells by activating specific cellular pathways and generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). This suggests that power-frequency magnetic fields can directly influence how our stem cells develop and differentiate.
Why This Matters
This research reveals a concerning mechanism by which everyday power-frequency EMFs can alter fundamental cellular processes. The 1 milliTesla exposure level used here is within the range you might encounter near high-current electrical equipment, though higher than typical household exposures (usually 0.01-0.1 mT). What makes this study particularly significant is that it identifies the specific biological pathway through which EMFs trigger cellular changes: by generating oxidative stress that activates growth factor receptors, ultimately forcing stem cells down an unintended developmental path. While the researchers frame neural differentiation as potentially beneficial, the reality is more complex. Uncontrolled cellular differentiation triggered by environmental EMF exposure represents a loss of normal biological control mechanisms. This adds to the growing body of evidence showing that EMFs at levels we encounter daily can interfere with basic cellular functions, challenging the outdated assumption that non-thermal EMF exposures are biologically inert.
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
To find out the signaling pathways involved in the neural differentiation of BM-MSCs by EMF, we examined the CREB phosphorylation and Akt or ERK activation as an upstream of CREB.
In hBM-MSCs treated with ELF-EMF (50 Hz, 1 mT), the expression of neural markers such as NF-L, MAP2...
These results suggest that EMF induce neural differentiation through activation of EGFR signaling and mild generation of ROS.
Show BibTeX
@article{je_2013_electromagnetic_fields_induce_neural_438,
author = {Park JE and Seo YK and Yoon HH and Kim CW and Park JK and Jeon S},
title = {Electromagnetic fields induce neural differentiation of human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells via ROS mediated EGFR activation.},
year = {2013},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0197018613000417},
}