ArticlePloS one2020
HEK293 cell response to static magnetic fields via the radical pair mechanism may explain therapeutic effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers.
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Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- Spin Relaxation Does Not Preclude Magnetic Field Effects on Lipid Autoxidation.ACS central science · 2026Article
- Weak Radiofrequency Field Effects on Biological Systems Mediated through the Radical Pair Mechanism.Chemical reviews · 2025Review
- Magneto-oncology: a radical pair primer.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Review
- Avian cryptochrome 4 binds superoxide.Computational and structural biotechnology journal · 2024Article
- Hypersensitivity to man-made electromagnetic fields (EHS) correlates with immune responsivity to oxidative stress: a case report.Communicative & integrative biology · 2024Article
- Application of magnetism in tissue regeneration: recent progress and future prospects.Regenerative biomaterials · 2024Review
- Quantitative measurements of reactive oxygen species partitioning in electron transfer flavoenzyme magnetic field sensing.Frontiers in physiology · 2024Article
- Magnetic Field Intervention Enhances Cellular Migration Rates in Biological Scaffolds.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- A Review of the Current State of Magnetic Force Microscopy to Unravel the Magnetic Properties of Nanomaterials Applied in Biological Systems and Future Directions for Quantum Technologies.Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- 14-3-3 Proteins and the Plasma Membrane HPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Phenolic acids and a static magnetic field change the expression of transforming growth factor β isoforms in amelanotic melanoma cells.Molecular biology reports · 2023Article
- The Geomagnetic Field (GMF) Is Necessary for Black Garden Ant (International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- The Geomagnetic Field (GMF) Is Required for Lima Bean Photosynthesis and Reactive Oxygen Species Production.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- Harnessing electromagnetic fields to assist bone tissue engineering.Stem cell research & therapy · 2023Review
- Transcriptomics and Metabolomics of Reactive Oxygen Species Modulation in Near-Null Magnetic Field-InducedBiomolecules · 2022Article
- Magnetic field effects in biology from the perspective of the radical pair mechanism.Journal of the Royal Society, Interface · 2022Review
- Radical pairs may explain reactive oxygen species-mediated effects of hypomagnetic field on neurogenesis.PLoS computational biology · 2022Article
- Thapsigargin blocks electromagnetic field-elicited intracellular CaPhysiological reports · 2022Article
- Magnetic Fields and Cancer: Epidemiology, Cellular Biology, and Theranostics.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Review
- Exposure to 1.8 GHz radiofrequency field modulates ROS in human HEK293 cells as a function of signal amplitude.Communicative & integrative biology · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) stimulation has been used for therapeutic purposes for over 50 years including in the treatment of memory loss, depression, alleviation of pain, bone and wound healing, and treatment of certain cancers. However, the underlying cellular mechanisms mediating these effects have remained poorly understood. In particular, because magnetic field pulses will induce electric currents in the stimulated tissue, it is unclear whether the observed effects are due to the magnetic or electric component of the stimulation. Recently, it has been shown that PEMFs stimulate the formation of ROS (reactive oxygen species) in human cell cultures by a mechanism that requires cryptochrome, a putative magnetosensor. Here we show by qPCR analysis of ROS-regulated gene expression that simply removing cell cultures from the Earth's geomagnetic field by placing them in a Low-Level Field condition induces similar effects on ROS signaling as does exposure of cells to PEMF. This effect can be explained by the so-called Radical Pair mechanism, which provides a quantum physical means by which the rates and product yields (e.g. ROS) of biochemical redox reactions may be modulated by magnetic fields. Since transient cancelling of the Earth's magnetic field can in principle be achieved by PEMF exposure, we propose that the therapeutic effects of PEMFs may be explained by the ensuing modulation of ROS synthesis. Our results could lead to significant improvements in the design and therapeutic applications of PEMF devices.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.