Studying gene expression profile of rat neuron exposed to 1800MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields with cDNA microassay.
Zhao R, Zhang S, Xu Z, Ju L, Lu D, Yao G. · 2007
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation altered 34 genes in brain neurons at exposure levels comparable to heavy phone use.
Plain English Summary
Chinese researchers exposed rat brain neurons to cell phone-frequency radiation (1800 MHz) for 24 hours at power levels similar to heavy phone use. They found that 34 genes changed their activity levels, affecting how neurons function in areas like cell structure, communication, and metabolism. This demonstrates that radiofrequency radiation can alter the fundamental genetic programming of brain cells.
Why This Matters
This study provides direct molecular evidence that cell phone radiation affects brain cell function at the genetic level. The researchers used 1800 MHz frequency with 217 Hz pulsing - the exact specifications used by GSM mobile phones. At 2 W/kg SAR, this exposure level falls within the range you might experience during extended phone calls held close to your head. What makes this research particularly significant is that it shows EMF effects aren't just about heating tissue - they're about changing how genes operate in neurons. The fact that 34 different genes were affected suggests widespread cellular disruption, not isolated incidents. While this was conducted on isolated rat neurons rather than whole organisms, it adds to the growing body of evidence that radiofrequency radiation has biological effects well below thermal thresholds.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 2 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 1800 MHz modulated by 217 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 24h
Exposure Context
This study used 2 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 5x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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
The aim of this investigation was to determine whether 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) can influence the gene expression of neuron.
Affymetrix Rat Neurobiology U34 array was applied to investigate the changes of gene expression in r...
Among 1200 candidate genes, 24 up-regulted genes and 10 down-regulated genes were identified after 2...
The present results indicated that the gene expression of rat neuron could be altered by exposure to RF EMF under our experimental conditions.
Show BibTeX
@article{r_2007_studying_gene_expression_profile_25,
author = {Zhao R and Zhang S and Xu Z and Ju L and Lu D and Yao G.},
title = {Studying gene expression profile of rat neuron exposed to 1800MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields with cDNA microassay.},
year = {2007},
url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300483X07001837},
}