Sadly cancer has touched all of us in one way or another. So when I came across this research article on PEMF and cancer from the National Library of Medicine and The Wiley Online Library, I had to share some tidbits from them with you.
Cancer is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. Available treatments are associated with numerous side effects and only a low percentage of patients achieve complete remission. Therefore, there is a strong need for new therapeutic strategies. In this regard, pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy presents several potential advantages including non‐invasiveness, safety, lack of toxicity for non‐cancerous cells, and the possibility of being combined with other available therapies. Indeed, PEMF stimulation has already been used in the context of various cancer types including skin, breast, prostate, hepatocellular, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, bladder, thyroid, and colon cancer in vitro and in vivo.
PEMF, pulsed electromagnetic field; DEN, N‐diethylnitrosamine; AFP, alpha‐fetoprotein; HCC, hepatocellular carcinom https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5119968/
Status of experimental research
PEMF cancer-related studies are mainly classified as inhibiting cell proliferation, directly killing or inducing apoptosis, altering cell cycle, affecting cellular pathways, etc. The principle of action is shown in Figure 3. The PEMFs is generally generated by the electromagnetic induction effect of current. A corresponding PEMF will be generated in the generating device. When PEMFs act on the cell, it will firstly change the cell membrane transport capacity, osmotic potential and ionic valves. Also, it will cause changes in mitochondrial protein profile, decrease mitochondrial phosphor-ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase), p53, and cytochrome c, and activate OxPhos. In terms of the nucleus, PEMFs can repair DNA conformation, cause modulate gene expression, influence mitosis and chromosomal aberrations. The action of PEMFs decreases cellular stress factors, increase energy demand, this series of reactions will eventually lead to apoptosis.
FIGURE 3
The principle of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) acting on cancer cells
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