Magnetic fields protect from apoptosis via redox alteration
De Nicola M, Cordisco S, Cerella C, Albertini MC, D'Alessio M, Accorsi A, Bergamaschi A, Magrini A, Ghibelli L · 2006
View Original AbstractMagnetic fields as low as 0.09 mT disrupt cellular antioxidant systems and prevent damaged cells from self-destructing as they should.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed human immune cells to magnetic fields and found that even weak fields (0.09 mT and higher) disrupted the cells' internal chemical balance, increasing harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species while decreasing protective antioxidants. Surprisingly, this cellular stress actually made the cells more resistant to programmed cell death (apoptosis), suggesting magnetic fields might interfere with normal cellular cleanup processes that eliminate damaged cells.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a concerning paradox in how magnetic fields affect cellular health. While the anti-apoptotic effect might sound protective, it's actually problematic because apoptosis is your body's essential quality control mechanism for eliminating damaged or potentially cancerous cells. The fact that magnetic fields as low as 0.09 mT can disrupt this process is significant because these exposure levels are common around household appliances and power lines. What makes this research particularly important is that it identifies a specific biological pathway through which magnetic fields exert their effects - by altering the delicate balance of oxidative stress within cells. This provides a mechanistic explanation for how EMF exposure might contribute to various health problems, including potentially increased cancer risk by allowing damaged cells to survive when they should be eliminated.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.07, 1 & 0.6 mG
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h, 4 h, 72 h
Exposure Context
This study used 0.07, 1 & 0.6 mG for magnetic fields:
- 3.5Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 700x 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
We show here that static MFs with intensity of 6 mT significantly alter the intracellular redox balance of U937 cells.
A strong increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a decrease of glutathione (GSH) intracellular...
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2006_magnetic_fields_protect_from_343,
author = {De Nicola M and Cordisco S and Cerella C and Albertini MC and D'Alessio M and Accorsi A and Bergamaschi A and Magrini A and Ghibelli L},
title = {Magnetic fields protect from apoptosis via redox alteration},
year = {2006},
doi = {10.1196/annals.1378.006},
url = {https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1196/annals.1378.006},
}