Background Genotoxicity studies revealed that high and low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) can induce damage to DNA, the genetic material in human cells. These findings came as a surprise. Although the relevant studies met acceptable scientific standards, they were heavily contested within the scientific community. Even to experts working in the fields of genome damage and repair, it is not intuitively obvious that electromagnetic fields could threaten the integrity of the DNA. This led the World Health Organization (WHO) to rate “genomic instability” as a “High Priority Research Need” in its research agenda for non-ionising radiation.
The researcher conducting the present study found this an interesting and potentially important problem and decided to repeat some of the key experiments to see if the effects could be replicated in his laboratory. This turned out to be the case.
Aim This positive but somewhat surprising outcome was an incentive to investigate the matter in detail. The project aims at
identifying the molecular nature of putative 50Hz EMF-induced DNA lesions to clarify the origin of the DNA strand-breaks observed in exposed cells.
characterising the cellular responses to 50Hz EMF-induced genotoxic stress to identify the molecular pathways providing genetic resistance to EMF exposure.
assessing the biological consequences of the 50Hz EMF-induced genotoxicity to clarify whether the detectable DNA lesions are benign or whether they give rise to stable genetic alterations.
Significance This project will clarify whether and to what extent low-frequency EMF exposure induces genomic instability in human cells. It will provide insight into the molecular processes underlying EMF-induced DNA damage formation and the associated biological consequences. The knowledge gained will facilitate future research into the biological effects of radiofrequency EMF, to which we are increasingly exposed through wireless technology. Finally, the results of this study will provide a solid scientific basis for risk assessment of low frequency EMF and, thus, for the implementation of meaningful health guidelines. Collaboration with the research project conducted by Albert Romann ((link zu 3. Ebene/Romann)) is planned.
Duration: 36 months
Grant: CHF 648’139.--
Prof. Dr. Primo Schär
Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics
Department of Clinical and Biological Research
University of Basel Mattenstrasse 28
CH-4058 Basel primo.schaer@unibas.ch
