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Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field induces apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells via oxidative stress.

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Yang ML, Ye ZM · 2015

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ELF electromagnetic fields at 1 milliTesla killed bone cancer cells through oxidative stress, suggesting potential therapeutic applications at controlled exposure levels.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed bone cancer cells to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) at 50 Hz and 1 milliTesla for up to 3 hours. They found the EMF exposure triggered cancer cell death (apoptosis) by increasing oxidative stress and activating specific cellular pathways. This suggests ELF-EMF might have potential therapeutic applications against bone cancer, though this was only tested in laboratory cell cultures, not living organisms.

Why This Matters

This study adds to a growing body of research showing that ELF-EMF can trigger programmed cell death in cancer cells through oxidative stress mechanisms. The 1 milliTesla exposure level used here is significantly higher than typical household exposures (which range from 0.01 to 0.2 milliTesla near appliances), suggesting these effects occur at elevated field strengths. What makes this research particularly interesting is that it identifies the specific biological pathway - increased reactive oxygen species leading to p38MAPK activation - by which EMF induces cancer cell death. While some might view any EMF-induced cellular effects as concerning, this study actually demonstrates a potentially beneficial application of controlled EMF exposure in cancer treatment. The key insight for readers is that EMF effects are highly dependent on exposure parameters like frequency, intensity, and duration, and the same fields that might be problematic for healthy cells could potentially be therapeutic against cancer cells.

Exposure Details

Magnetic Field
1 mG
Source/Device
50 Hz
Exposure Duration
1, 2 and 3 h

Exposure Context

This study used 1 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: 1 mGExtreme Concern - 5 mGFCC Limit - 2,000 mGEffects observed in the Severe Concern rangeFCC limit is 2,000x higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 50 Hz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 50 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

To investigate the effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) on human osteosarcoma cells and its mechanisms.

Human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells were exposed to 50 Hz,1 mT ELF-EMF for 1, 2 and 3 h in vitro, with o...

ELF-EMF decreased the viability of MG-63 cells, inhibited cell growth, induced cell apoptosis and in...

ELF-EMF can induce the apoptosis of MG-63 cells. Increased ROS and p38MAPK activation may be involved in the mechanism.

Cite This Study
Yang ML, Ye ZM (2015). Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field induces apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells via oxidative stress. Zhejiang Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 44(3):323-328, 2015.
Show BibTeX
@article{ml_2015_extremely_low_frequency_electromagnetic_482,
  author = {Yang ML and Ye ZM},
  title = {Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field induces apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells via oxidative stress.},
  year = {2015},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26350014/},
}
PubMed: 26350014

Cited By (15 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Research shows extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields can trigger cancer cell death in laboratory studies. A 2015 study found 50 Hz EMF exposure caused bone cancer cells to die through oxidative stress mechanisms, though this was only tested in cell cultures, not humans.
Laboratory research demonstrates 50 Hz electromagnetic fields can induce death in bone cancer cells by increasing oxidative stress. The 2015 Yang study found significant cancer cell death after EMF exposure, suggesting potential therapeutic applications that require further human studies.
EMF exposure can trigger cancer cell death by increasing reactive oxygen species and activating cellular stress pathways. Research on bone cancer cells showed 50 Hz electromagnetic fields significantly reduced cell viability and induced programmed cell death within hours of exposure.
Preliminary laboratory studies suggest electromagnetic field therapy might help kill cancer cells through oxidative stress mechanisms. However, research showing EMF-induced cancer cell death has only been conducted in cell cultures, not clinical trials with actual cancer patients.
EMF exposure may offer cancer treatment benefits by triggering tumor cell death through oxidative stress pathways. Laboratory studies show promising results with bone cancer cells, but researchers need human clinical trials to determine real-world therapeutic effectiveness and safety.