Transient biological response of human mesenchymal stem cells to a single wideband high-power electromagnetic pulse exposure: a preliminary study.

This preliminary study examines the effects of a single wideband high-power electromagnetic (HPEM) pulse on human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs). The exposure was designed to emulate a realistic electromagnetic exposure scenario involving a magnetocumulative generator, a non-repetitive but extremely high-energy source. The pulse, characterized by a peak field of 1 MV/m, 120 ns pulse width, and 50 MHz center frequency, was applied to hBM-MSCs primary cell lines. We assessed cellular morphology, viability, proliferation, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and gene expression at various time points post-exposure. Our findings indicate no observable changes in cell morphology, viability, or proliferation compared to control and sham-treated cells. Mitochondrial membrane potential was unaffected by exposure; however, a consistent increase in mitochondrial superoxide production was observed, with a main effect of treatment across both cell lines. DNA damage assessments revealed no detectable induction of single- or double-strand breaks. Gene set enrichment analysis identified transient upregulation in gene sets related to cell cycle progression and oxidative phosphorylation immediately post-exposure, though these effects were not sustained. Overall, a single HPEM pulse did not cause lasting detrimental effects on hBM-MSCs. However, subtle and transient biological responses were observed, highlighting the need for further investigation into the effects of electromagnetic pulses on human cells.