Extremely low‐frequency magnetic fields and risk of childhood leukemia: A risk assessment by the ARIMMORA consortium

Schüz, Joachim; Dasenbrock, Clemens; Ravazzani, Paolo; Röösli, Martin; Schär, Primo; Bounds, Patricia L.; Erdmann, Friederike; Borkhardt, Arndt; Cobaleda, César; Fedrowitz, Maren; Hamnerius, Yngve; Sánchez-Garcı́a, Isidro; Seger, Rony; Schmiegelow, Kjeld; Ziegelberger, Gunde; Capstick, Myles; Manser, Melissa; Müller, Meike; Schmid, Christoph D.; Schürmann, David; Struchen, Benjamin; Kuster, Niels

doi:10.1002/bem.21963

Cited by 36 publications

(31 citation statements)

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“…Extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) have been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans based on consistent epidemiological data for childhood leukemia [1][2][3][4][5][6]. However, ELF-MF cannot traverse membranes or cause DNA damage [7], and the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenic effects are not yet understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Activation of Signaling Cascades by Weak Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields

Kapri-Pardes

Hanoch

Maik-Rachline

et al. 2017

Cell Physiol Biochem

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Background/Aims:Results from recent studies suggest that extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) interfere with intracellular signaling pathways related to proliferative control. The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), central signaling components that regulate essentially all stimulated cellular processes, include the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) that are extremely sensitive to extracellular cues. Anti-phospho-ERK antibodies serve as a readout for ERK1/2 activation and are able to detect minute changes in ERK stimulation. The objective of this study was to explore whether activation of ERK1/2 and other signaling cascades can be used as a readout for responses of a variety of cell types, both transformed and non-transformed, to ELF-MF. Methods: We applied ELF-MF at various field strengths and time periods to eight different cell types with an exposure system housed in a tissue culture incubator and followed the phosphorylation of MAPKs and Akt by western blotting. Results: We found that the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 is increased in response to ELF-MF. However, the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 is likely too low to induce ELF-MF-dependent proliferation or oncogenic transformation. The p38 MAPK was very slightly phosphorylated, but JNK or Akt were not. The effect on ERK1/2 was detected for exposures to ELF-MF strengths as low as 0.15 µT and was maximal at ~10 µT. We also show that ERK1/2 phosphorylation is blocked by the flavoprotein inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium, indicating that the response to ELF-MF may be exerted via NADP oxidase similar to the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in response to microwave radiation. Conclusions: Our results further indicate that cells are responsive to ELF-MF at field strengths much lower than previously suspected and that the effect may be mediated by NADP oxidase. However, the small increase in ERK1/2 phosphorylation is probably insufficient to affect proliferation and oncogenic transformation. Therefore, the results cannot be regarded as proof of the involvement of ELF-MF in cancer in general or childhood leukemia in particular.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Activation of Signaling Cascades by Weak Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields

Kapri-Pardes

Hanoch

Maik-Rachline

et al. 2017

Cell Physiol Biochem

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“…These estimates have been confirmed by researchers of the ARIMMORA (Advanced Research on Interaction Mechanisms of electroMagnetic exposures with Organisms for Risk Assessment) consortium [16]. Despite the evidence of carcinogenicity shown by numerous human studies, ELF-EMFs are not considered to be carcinogenic.…”

Section: Elf-emfs and Childhood Leukemia: Evidence Of Carcinogenicitymentioning

confidence: 74%

A Plausible Biological Mechanism by which Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Increase the Risk of Childhood Leukemia

López‐Lázaro

2016

Preprint

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Abstract:Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) are non-ionizing radiations typically emitted by power lines, electrical wiring and electrical appliances. Epidemiological studies have repeatedly shown a positive association between ELF-EMFs and childhood leukemia. Exposures greater than 0.3-0.4 µT increase the risk by approximately 1.5-2 fold, and estimates indicate that up to 2% of childhood leukemia cases in Europe may be attributable to ELF-EMFs. However, it is considered unlikely that ELF-EMFs can cause cancer, because carcinogenesis requires the accumulation of DNA alterations and ELF-EMFs do not have enough energy to damage the DNA. Lack of biological plausibility is a barrier to accept the evidence of carcinogenicity in human studies and to take measures to protect pregnant women and children from ELF-EMFs. Recent evidence indicates that non-mutagenic agents can cause DNA alterations and increase the risk of cancer by promoting the accumulation of cell divisions in stem cells. Cell division generates DNA alterations (e.g., mutations arising during DNA replication), which occur even in the absence of DNA-damaging agents. Importantly, ELF-EMFs can trigger the division of stem cells; this effect is under development in the field of regenerative medicine. A possible mechanism by which ELF-EMFs induce the malignant transformation of hematopoietic stem cells is discussed.

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“…For example, if most textbooks say that cancer is caused by mutations and drinking very hot beverages does not cause mutations, how do we explain to people that this dietary habit probably increases their risk of developing esophageal cancer [24][25][26][27]? If non-ionizing radiations (e.g., ELF-EMFs) do not have enough energy to cause mutations, how do we convince health agencies to develop more restrictive guidelines to protect exposed populations from this type of radiation [28][29][30][31][32][33][34]? If working at night does not cause mutations, is it necessary to alarm women working at night by telling them that circadian disruption by electrical lighting probably increases their risk of developing breast cancer [20][21][22][23]?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, a meta-analysis based on 11,699 cases and 13,194 controls showed that the relative risk was 1.57 for exposure above 0.4 μT [31]. It has been estimated that 2% of childhood leukemia cases in Europe are attributable to ELF-EMFs [32,33]. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified ELF-EMFs as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) [34].…”

Section: The Stem Cell Division Theory Of Cancer Provides a New Framementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Human studies indicate that the risk of cancer is increased by hormone therapy (several cancer types) [17][18][19], shift work that involves circadian disruption (breast cancer) [20][21][22][23], drinking very hot beverages (esophageal cancer) [24][25][26][27] and exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (childhood leukemia) [28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Carcinogenesis experiments in rodents have also shown that non-mutagenic factors can have a major impact on cancer incidence and development [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Stem Cell Division Theory of Cancer

López‐Lázaro

2017

Preprint

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All cancer registries constantly show striking differences in cancer incidence by age and among tissues. For example, lung cancer is diagnosed hundreds of times more often at age 70 than at age 20, and this cancer in nonsmokers occurs thousands of times more frequently than heart cancer in smokers. An analysis of these differences using basic concepts in cell biology indicates that cancer is the end-result of the accumulation of cell divisions in stem cells. In other words, the main determinant of carcinogenesis is the number of cell divisions that the DNA of a stem cell has accumulated in any type of cell from the zygote. Cell division, process by which a cell copies and separates its cellular components to finally split into two cells, is necessary to produce the large number of cells required for living. However, cell division can lead to a variety of cancer-promoting errors, such as mutations occurring during DNA replication, chromosome aberrations arising during mitosis, errors in the distribution of cell-fate determinants between the daughter cells, and failures to restore physical interactions with other tissue components. Some of these errors are spontaneous, others are promoted by endogenous DNA damage occurring during quiescence, and others are influenced by pathological and environmental factors. The cell divisions required for carcinogenesis are primarily caused by multiple local and systemic physiological signals rather than by errors in the DNA of the cells. As carcinogenesis progresses, the accumulation of DNA errors promotes cell division and eventually triggers cell division under permissive extracellular environments. The accumulation of cell divisions in stem cells drives not only the accumulation of the DNA alterations required for carcinogenesis, but also the formation and growth of the abnormal cell populations that characterize the disease. This model of carcinogenesis provides a new framework for understanding the disease and has important implications for cancer prevention and therapy.

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Extremely low‐frequency magnetic fields and risk of childhood leukemia: A risk assessment by the ARIMMORA consortium

Cited by 36 publications

References 15 publications

Activation of Signaling Cascades by Weak Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields

Activation of Signaling Cascades by Weak Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields

A Plausible Biological Mechanism by which Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Increase the Risk of Childhood Leukemia

The Stem Cell Division Theory of Cancer

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