AI-generated conceptual design by EMFSA (2025) using OpenAI’s DALL·E, depicting laboratory equipment used in studies on antibiotic use in mammalian cell cultures.

Can antibiotics interfere with cellular responses in mammalian systems?

• Antibiotics in cell culture: friend or foe? Suppression of keratinocyte growth and differentiation in monolayer cultures and 3D skin models

Ref. Nygaard, U.H., Niehues, H., Rikken, G., Rodijk-Olthuis, D., Schalkwijk, J. and van den Bogaard, E.H. (2015), Antibiotics in cell culture: friend or foe? Suppression of keratinocyte growth and differentiation in monolayer cultures and 3D skin models. Exp Dermatol, 24: 964-965. https://doi.org/10.1111/exd.12834

• PromoCell Blog: Antibiotics in Cell Culture: Friend or Enemy?

• Use antibiotics in cell culture with caution: genome-wide identification of antibiotic-induced changes in gene expression and regulation – PMC

Ref. Ryu AH, Eckalbar WL, Kreimer A, Yosef N, Ahituv N. Use antibiotics in cell culture with caution: genome-wide identification of antibiotic-induced changes in gene expression and regulation. Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 8;7(1):7533. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-07757-w. PMID: 28790348; PMCID: PMC5548911.

Experimental Standards

Antibiotic use in mammalian cell cultures remains a common practice to prevent contamination, but its unintended effects on gene expression, mitochondrial function, and epigenetic profiles warrant closer scrutiny.

This post sets the stage for our next article: an in-depth look at a recent study on 5G millimeter wave exposure and gene expression in human skin cells. https://www.emfsa.co.za/research-and-studies/5g-research-one-swallow-does-not-make-a-summer/

Explore Radiofrequency radiation and metal containing nanoparticles

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Abstract

Thyroid diseases are progressively increasing, mainly in terms of congenital hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, and childhood thyrotoxicosis. A rapid increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer in children and adolescents has also been observed in the last decades, mirroring the incidence trend observed in adults. This epidemiologic tendency is paralleled by a progressive increment in costs for diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease. Thyroid diseases depend on both genetic and environmental factors. Growing evidence link both altered thyroid function and thyroid cancer with a number of widely diffused toxic chemicals of anthropogenic origin. These synthetic substances persistently contaminate the environmental matrices (i.e., air, soil, water) and the food chain, and bio-accumulate in humans, starting from in utero life. Environmental toxics as air pollutants, endocrine disruptors, and high-frequency electromagnetic fields can act through common pathways, on common targets, and with trans-generational effects, with combined mechanisms contributing to thyroid damage. As shown by experimental and epidemiologic observation, these mechanisms include modulation of hormone synthesis, transportation and metabolism, direct interference with thyroid hormone receptors, modulation of gene expression, and autoimmunity. Available evidences linking environmental pollutants and thyroid disease, including cancer, should not be underestimated in consideration of the wide, worldwide, and increasing spread of these toxic substances, and of the key role of thyroid hormones in maintaining the systemic metabolic homeostasis and during the development. Thus, primary prevention measures are urgently needed in particular to protect children, the most exposed and vulnerable subjects.

https://www.eurekaselect.com/196304/article

The post Thyroid Function: a Target for Endocrine Disruptors, Air Pollution, and Radiofrequencies appeared first on EMFSA.

Abstract

Hearing loss (HL) is the most common sensory disorder in the world population. One common cause of HL is the presence of vestibular schwannoma (VS), a benign tumor of the VIII cranial nerve, arising from Schwann cell (SC) transformation. In the last decade, the increasing incidence of VS has been correlated to electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure, which might be considered a pathogenic cause of VS development and HL. Here, we explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the biologic changes of human SCs and/or their oncogenic transformation following EMF exposure. Through NGS technology and RNA-Seq transcriptomic analysis, we investigated the genomic profile and the differential display of HL-related genes after chronic EMF. We found that chronic EMF exposure modified the cell proliferation, in parallel with intracellular signaling and metabolic pathways changes, mostly related to translation and mitochondrial activities. Importantly, the expression of HL-related genes such as NEFL, TPRN, OTOGL, GJB2, and REST appeared to be deregulated in chronic EMF exposure. In conclusion, we suggest that, at a preclinical stage, EMF exposure might promote the transformation of VS cells and contribute to HL.

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/10/7/1840/htm

The post Transcriptomic Profile Reveals Deregulation of Hearing-Loss Related Genes in Vestibular Schwannoma Cells Following Electromagnetic Field Exposure appeared first on EMFSA.

NIEHS News Environmental Factor May 2021

During almost four decades at the institute, he brought innovation to many complex issues, such as reducing animal use in research.

BY JESSE SAFFRON

John Bucher, Ph.D., senior scientist in the NIEHS Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), retired in April after nearly four decades at the institute. His scientific achievements, innovative thinking, and mentorship will leave a lasting influence, according to colleagues.

Throughout his career, Bucher advanced knowledge on the health effects of numerous environmental agents, such as fluoride and cell phone radiation. He also expanded understanding and adoption of nonanimal approaches to toxicological research.

Reducing use of animals

After earning his undergraduate degree in biology from Knox College in Illinois, Bucher received a master’s in biochemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then took up pharmacology as a doctoral student at the University of Iowa.

Later, Bucher drew insights from pharmacology when developing ways to reduce the use of animals in toxicological research and study chemicals more rapidly and efficiently. He said that his achievements in this regard are especially rewarding.

“Traditional toxicology studies often are too expensive and time-consuming, and it can take years for findings to be disseminated,” said Bucher. “I am proud that my colleagues and I recognized that this was unsustainable and worked to advance novel experimental approaches.”

Read the article at:

https://factor.niehs.nih.gov/2021/5/awards-recognition/bucher/index.htm

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Abstract

Increasing evidences suggest the involvement of disrupted circadian clock in various pathologies including stroke and substance abuse. Here we took an attempt to do a comparative study on the regulation of circadian clock gene expression under two pathological circumstances – Opioid addiction and Ischemic stroke in the same cell line model (human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells). To mimic in vivo ischemic stroke condition cells were placed in a hypoxia chamber and incubated for 10 h in balanced salt solution lacking glucose, aerated with an anaerobic gas mixture (95% N₂ and 5% C0₂). For opioid addiction cells were treated with morphine sulphate at 10 μM dose for 48 h. We found that although circadian clock gets disturbed in both states, pattern of alteration of clock gene expressions were different and change was more severe in ischemic stroke than addiction. Interestingly, increase in expression of Cry1 showed as a common factor to both the diseases. This paper also emphasizes the interconnection between the severities of neuronal injury induced by ischemic stroke or opioid abuse to circadian system. Finally, this study will further enrich our knowledge towards the pattern of circadian rhythm disturbances under different pathological states.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33894675/

Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The post Increase of Cry 1 expression is a common phenomenon of the disturbed circadian clock in ischemic stroke and opioid addiction appeared first on EMFSA.

ABSTRACT

This is a review of the research on the genetic effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic field (EMF), mainly on radiofrequency radiation (RFR) and static and extremely low frequency EMF (ELF-EMF). The majority of the studies are on genotoxicity (e.g., DNA damage, chromatin conformation changes, etc.) and gene expression. Genetic effects of EMF depend on various factors, including field parameters and characteristics (frequency, intensity, wave-shape), cell type, and exposure duration. The types of gene expression affected (e.g., genes involved in cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and stress responses, heat-shock proteins) are consistent with the findings that EMF causes genetic damages. Many studies reported effects in cells and animals after exposure to EMF at intensities similar to those in the public and occupational environments. The mechanisms by which effects are induced by EMF are basically unknown. Involvement of free radicals is a likely possibility. EMF also interacts synergistically with different entities on genetic functions. Interactions, particularly with chemotherapeutic compounds, raise the possibility of using EMF as an adjuvant for cancer treatment to increase the efficacy and decrease side effects of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs. Other data, such as adaptive effects and mitotic spindle aberrations after EMF exposure, further support the notion that EMF causes genetic effects in living organisms.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15368378.2021.1881866

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Abstract

The technological advancement and increased usage of wireless and other communication devices have greatly enhanced the level of radiofrequency electromagnetic field radiation (EMF-r) in the environment. It has resulted in unprecedented increased exposure of living organisms to these radiations. Most of the studies in past have, however, focused on animal systems and comparatively less attention has been paid to plants with studies reporting various, sometimes contradictory effects. This review is an attempt to provide a critical appraisal of the available reports regarding the impacts of these radiations on plant development and the underlying physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms involved. Here, we propose that the main entry point for the biological effects of EMF-r corresponds to an increase in ROS metabolism and cytosolic calcium that leads to various cellular responses including changes in gene expression and/or enzymatic activities, which could ultimately result in immediate cellular alterations or delayed plant growth. This may constitute a new perspective in the interpretation of plant responses to EMF-r exposure. Understanding the impacts of EMF-r and the inherent abilities of plants to cope up with such changes should lead to EMF-r being considered as full-fledged environmental signals that are perceived by the plants and integrated into their development patterns.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11157-020-09563-9

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Abstract

Head and neck cancer encompass different malignancies that develop in and around the throat, larynx, nose, sinuses and mouth. Most head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) that arise in the flat squamous cells that makeup the thin layer of tissue on the surface of anatomical structures in the head and neck. Each year, HNSCC is diagnosed in more than 600,000 people worldwide, with about 50,000 new cases. HNSCC is considered extremely curable if detected early. But the problem remains in treatment of inoperable cases, residues or late stages. Circadian rhythm regulation has a big role in developing various carcinomas, and head and neck tumors are no exception. A number of studies have reported that alteration in clock gene expression is associated with several cancers, including HNSCC. Analyses on circadian clock genes and their association with HNSCC have shown that expression of PER1, PER2, PER3, CRY1, CRY2, CKIε, TIM, and BMAL1 are deregulated in HNSCC tissues. This review paper comprehensively presents data on deregulation of circadian genes in HNSCC and critically evaluates their potential diagnostics and prognostics role in this type of pathology.

The post Circadian (De)regulation in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma appeared first on EMFSA.

Re-posted from:

https://microwavenews.com/news-center/ntp-turns-search-mechanisms?fbclid=IwAR2WTm8mY7tcuHzPLXcj7YDJvjeImLufcshES1H9P5Vl6CSNCL1JZyirq7s

The post NTP Turns to Mechanisms DNA Breaks, Oxidative Stress and Gene Expression Are on the Agenda appeared first on EMFSA.

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