Cellular stress response to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF): An explanation for controversial effects of ELF-EMF on apoptosis
Author: Mojdeh Barati1, Behrad Darvishi2, Mohammad Amin Javidi1, Ali Mohammadian3, Seyed Peyman Shariatpanahi4, Mohammad Reza Eisavand2, Alireza Madjid Ansari1
Affiliation:
1 Integrative Oncology Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
2 Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
3 Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
4 Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Conference/Journal: Cell Prolif
Date published: 2021 Nov 6
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.1111/cpr.13154. , Word Count: 230
Impaired apoptosis is one of the hallmarks of cancer, and almost all of the non-surgical approaches of eradicating tumour cells somehow promote induction of apoptosis. Indeed, numerous studies have stated that non-ionizing non-thermal extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) can modulate the induction of apoptosis in exposed cells; however, much controversy exists in observations. When cells are exposed to ELF-EMF alone, very low or no statistically significant changes in apoptosis are observed. Contrarily, exposure to ELF-EMF in the presence of a co-stressor, including a chemotherapeutic agent or ionizing radiation, can either potentiate or inhibit apoptotic effects of the co-stressor. In our idea, the main point neglected in interpreting these discrepancies is "the cellular stress responses" of cells following ELF-EMF exposure and its interplay with apoptosis. The main purpose of the current review was to outline the triangle of ELF-EMF, the cellular stress response of cells and apoptosis and to interpret and unify discrepancies in results based on it. Therefore, initially, we will describe studies performed on identifying the effect of ELF-EMF on induction/inhibition of apoptosis and enumerate proposed pathways through which ELF-EMF exposure may affect apoptosis; then, we will explain cellular stress response and cues for its induction in response to ELF-EMF exposure; and finally, we will explain why such controversies have been observed by different investigators.
Keywords: ELF-EMF; apoptosis; cellular stress response; controversy; reactive oxygen species.
PMID: 34741480 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13154
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