Precision knockdown of EGFR gene expression using radio frequency electromagnetic energy.


Author: Ulasov IV1, Foster H2, Butters M3, Yoon JG2, Ozawa T4, Nicolaides T4, Figueroa X3, Hothi P2, Prados M4, Butters J3, Cobbs C5

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Ben & Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, 550 17th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98122, USA. ulasov75@yahoo.com.

<sup>2</sup>Ben & Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, 550 17th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98122, USA.

<sup>3</sup>Nativis Inc., 219 Terry Avenue North, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.

<sup>4</sup>Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.

<sup>5</sup>Ben & Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, 550 17th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98122, USA. Charles.Cobbs@Swedish.org.
Conference/Journal: J Neurooncol.
Date published: 2017 Apr 22
Other:
  Special Notes: doi: 10.1007/s11060-017-2440-x. [Epub ahead of print]   ,  Word Count: 160  
    Electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the radio frequency energy (RFE) range can affect cells at the molecular level. Here we report a technology that can record the specific RFE signal of a given molecule, in this case the siRNA of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We demonstrate that cells exposed to this EGFR siRNA RFE signal have a 30-70% reduction of EGFR mRNA expression and ~60% reduction in EGFR protein expression vs. control treated cells. Specificity for EGFR siRNA effect was confirmed via RNA microarray and antibody dot blot array. The EGFR siRNA RFE decreased cell viability, as measured by Calcein-AM measures, LDH release and Caspase 3 cleavage, and increased orthotopic xenograft survival. The outcomes of this study demonstrate that an RFE signal can induce a specific siRNA-like effect on cells. This technology opens vast possibilities of targeting a broader range of molecules with applications in medicine, agriculture and other areas.



KEYWORDS: EGFR; Electromagnetic energy; Radio frequency



PMID: 28434113  DOI: 10.1007/s11060-017-2440-x