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Magnetic fields protect from apoptosis via redox alteration

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De Nicola M, Cordisco S, Cerella C, Albertini MC, D'Alessio M, Accorsi A, Bergamaschi A, Magrini A, Ghibelli L · 2006

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Magnetic fields as low as 0.09 mT disrupt cellular antioxidant systems and prevent damaged cells from self-destructing as they should.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

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:

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 Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.07, 1 & 0.6 mGExtreme Concern - 5 mGFCC Limit - 2,000 mGEffects observed in the No Concern rangeFCC limit is 28,571x higher than this level

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...

Cite This Study
De Nicola M, Cordisco S, Cerella C, Albertini MC, D'Alessio M, Accorsi A, Bergamaschi A, Magrini A, Ghibelli L (2006). Magnetic fields protect from apoptosis via redox alteration Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1090:59-68, 2006.
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},
}
DOI: 10.1196/annals.1378.006

Cited By (52 papers)

View all 52 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, magnetic fields can cause oxidative stress in human cells. A 2006 study found that even weak magnetic fields (0.09 mT and higher) increased harmful reactive oxygen species while decreasing protective antioxidants in immune cells within just two hours of exposure.
Magnetic fields can interfere with normal cell death processes. Research shows that magnetic fields make cells more resistant to programmed cell death (apoptosis) by disrupting the cellular chemical balance, potentially preventing the body from eliminating damaged cells naturally.
Weak magnetic fields can disrupt immune cell function by altering their internal chemistry. Studies demonstrate that magnetic fields as low as 0.09 mT increase cellular stress and change how immune cells respond to damage, affecting their normal cleanup processes.
Magnetic fields significantly reduce cellular antioxidants, particularly glutathione, which protects cells from damage. Research found that magnetic field exposure decreased these protective molecules while simultaneously increasing harmful reactive oxygen species, creating an imbalanced cellular environment.
Low frequency magnetic fields cause measurable biological effects including increased cellular stress molecules and decreased antioxidant protection. These changes occur at relatively weak field strengths and can alter how cells respond to damage and undergo natural death processes.