Breast cancer (BC) is the most common women cancer worldwide. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the two common treatment options but these techniques suffer low selectivity and adverse effects on surrounding normal tissues. Non- ionizing pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) in ultra-narrow band frequency and intensity have shown anticancer effects. Changing potassium ion (K+) activities is a pivotal mechanism regulating different physiological functions and cell proliferation. PEMFs at ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) frequency tuned to main biological ions such as K+ can modulate cell cycle and proliferation. The present study aims to comparatively investigate the effects of PEMF at frequency and intensity resembling K+-ICR condition (50 Hz, 127.2 µT) on cancerous (MCF-7) and normal breast (MCF-10) cells. In addition, the mechanisms of actions of the PEMF were assessed using MTT and flow cytometry assessments.
Conclusion. PEMF with K+-ICR condition selectively impairs breast cancer cell viability while did not affect normal cell line. Induction of apoptosis seems the main mechanism of actions of cell death in the cancerous breast cell line under PEMF exposure. These data suggest that PEMF tuned to K+-ICR may be a potential BC treatment.
Mansoureh Zarei; Ali Yadollahpour; Farzin Moradi. “Pulsed electromagnetic field at frequency and intensity resembling potassium ion cyclotron resonance selectively impairs breast cancer cell through apoptosis”. Iranian Journal of Medical Physics, 15, Special Issue-12th. Iranian Congress of Medical Physics, 2018, 66-66. doi: 10.22038/ijmp.2018.12083
