Electromagnetic Fields Mediate Efficient Cell Reprogramming into The Pluripotent State.

Life on earth is exposed to natural electromagnetic fields and it is generally accepted that electromagnetic fields (EMF) may exert a variety of effects on biological systems. Particularly, extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (EL-EMFs) affect biological functions such cell development & differentiation, however, the fundamental roles by which EMF influences these functions remains unclear. Here we show that EMF is essential for the regulation of cell fate changes during direct epigenetic reprogramming to pluripotency. EL-EMF exposure induces efficient reprogramming in both mouse and human somatic cells. Remarkably, an EMF-free system that eliminates earth's naturally occurring magnetic field completely abrogates reprogramming. Therefore, our results reveal that not only can EMF exposure be used as an efficient tool for epigenetic reprogramming, but also provide evidence that naturally occurring EMF is plays an important role in biological processes, including the acquisition of pluripotency.
PMID: 25248035