Cellular and molecular effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields

Lai H, Levitt B. Cellular and molecular effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields. Reviews on Environmental Health. 2023. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2023-0023.

Abstract

The way that living cells respond to non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF), including static/extremely-low frequency and radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, fits the pattern of ‘cellular stress response’ – a mechanism manifest at the cellular level intended to preserve the entire organism. It is a set pattern of cellular and molecular responses to environmental stressors, such as heat, ionizing radiation, oxidation, etc. It is triggered by cellular macromolecular damage (in proteins, lipids, and DNA) with the goal of repairing and returning cell functions to homeostasis. The pattern is independent of the type of stressor encountered. It involves cell cycle arrest, induction of specific molecular mechanisms for repair, damage removal, cell proliferation, and cell death if damage is too great. This response could be triggered by EMF-induced alternation in oxidative processes in cells. The concept that biological response to EMF is a ‘cellular stress response’ explains many observed effects of EMF, such as nonlinear dose- and time-dependency, increased and decreased risks of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, enhanced nerve regeneration, and bone healing. These responses could be either detrimental or beneficial to health, depending on the duration and intensity of the exposure, as well as specific aspects of the living organism being exposed. A corollary to electromagnetic hypersensitivity syndrome (EHS) could be an inappropriate response of the hippocampus/limbic system to EMF, involving glucocorticoids on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Open access paper: https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2023-0023