Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) prevents pro-oxidant effects of H2O2 in SK-N-BE(2) human neuroblastoma cells.
Falone S, Marchesi N, Osera C, Fassina L, Comincini S, Amadio M, Pascale A. · 2016
View Original AbstractSpecific pulsed electromagnetic fields at 2 milliTesla boosted cellular antioxidant defenses, showing EMF bioeffects depend critically on exposure parameters.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed drug-resistant brain cancer cells to pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) at 75 Hz for brief periods over five days, then tested how well the cells handled oxidative stress. The PEMF treatment boosted the cells' antioxidant defenses and reduced harmful reactive oxygen species when challenged with hydrogen peroxide. This suggests that specific electromagnetic field exposures might actually help protect cells from oxidative damage rather than harm them.
Why This Matters
This study adds an important wrinkle to our understanding of electromagnetic field bioeffects. While most EMF research focuses on potential harm, this work demonstrates that certain frequencies and intensities can actually enhance cellular protection against oxidative stress. The 2 milliTesla magnetic field strength used here is significantly higher than typical environmental exposures from power lines or appliances, which range from 0.01 to 1 milliTesla in most residential settings. What makes this research particularly noteworthy is its focus on drug-resistant neuroblastoma cells, which are notoriously difficult to protect or treat. The finding that PEMF can boost antioxidant defenses in these resilient cancer cells suggests the mechanism may be quite robust. However, readers should understand this doesn't mean all EMF exposures are beneficial. The science demonstrates that EMF bioeffects are highly dependent on specific parameters like frequency, intensity, and duration. This controlled laboratory study used precise conditions that differ dramatically from the chaotic mix of frequencies we encounter from wireless devices and modern electronics.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 2 mG
- Source/Device
- 75 Hz Pulsed electromagnetic field
- Exposure Duration
- 15 min each, repeated 3 times over 5 days
Exposure Context
This study used 2 mG for magnetic fields:
- 100Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 20Kx 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
The redox milieu, together with reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, may play a role in mediating some biological effects of extremely-low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF). Some of us have recently reported that a pulsed EMF (PEMF) improves the antioxidant response of a drug-sensitive human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line to pro-oxidants. Since drug resistance may affect cell sensitivity to redox-based treatments, we wanted to verify whether drug-resistant human neuroblastoma SK-N-BE(2) cells respond to a PEMF in a similar fashion
SK-N-BE(2) cells were exposed to repeated 2 mT, 75 Hz PEMF (15 min each, repeated 3 times over 5 day...
The PEMF increased the MnSOD-based antioxidant protection and reduced the ROS production in response...
Our work might lay foundation for the development of non-invasive PEMF-based approaches aimed at elevating endogenous antioxidant properties in cellular or tissue models.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2016_pulsed_electromagnetic_field_pemf_357,
author = {Falone S and Marchesi N and Osera C and Fassina L and Comincini S and Amadio M and Pascale A.},
title = {Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) prevents pro-oxidant effects of H2O2 in SK-N-BE(2) human neuroblastoma cells.},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.3109/09553002.2016.1150619},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09553002.2016.1150619},
}