The first plenary session presented some of the therapeutic applications of electromagnetic fields. Some of the presented data indicated that not only it is possible to use low-level radiofrequency exposures to heal cancer but also confirmed that non-thermal effects exist.
The first two talks by Julie Gehl of the Center for Experimental Drug and Gene Electrotransfer, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Copenhagen, Denmark, and Damijan Miklavcic of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, presented the use of electroporation, electro-chemotherapy and electro gene transfer.
Brief electric pulses can cause transient permeabilization of cell membranes that can be used to facilitate delivery of medicines to cells. This kind of treatment is called electro-chemotherapy (ECT). It is currently used for treatment of various cancers in over 100 oncology centers in Europe.
ECT comprises of electric pulses given by electrodes in the tumor tissue, causing electroporation of the cell membranes. This electroporation of cell membranes augments uptake of the cancer drugs. For example the uptake of drug bleomycin is enhanced 300 times by electroporation. Preclinical ECT cancer treatment data are promising. It is predicted that ECT will be useful in treatment of brain cancer (primary and secondary) and soft tissue metastases elsewhere in the body.
Advantages of ECT over traditional radiation therapy and chemotherapy are well presented in this open-access review.
Electro gene transfer is a method of delivery DNA to cells. Electromagnetic radiation helps to attach DNA molecules to the cell membranes. As such DNA is too large molecule to enter cells through electro-pores. However, when attached to the cell surface, DNA can be internalized by cells by endocytosis. Once inside cell, DNA is used by the cell to produce new proteins that are encoded in genes of the transferred DNA. When the DNA is transferred to the long living muscle cells, new genes can be used for production of proteins in different protein deficiency disorders. Because muscle cells live for months the production of proteins is also lasting for months after DNA transfer.
The third, and last, talk was presented by Boris Pasche of the Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham & UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL, USA. In my earlier science blog where I gave my impressions from the 2012 Monte Verita meeting, I wrote about Boris’ research. In short, his research indicates that the biological systems respond only to certain frequencies. The responses are frequency-specific, tumor-specific and genome-specific (individual variability of response between patients). The effects were observed consistently in cells grown in laboratory, in experimental animals (mice) and in cancer patients. It is important to note that this frequency-specific therapy was helping in some patients who otherwise did not respond to more traditional cancer treatments. What is still more exciting is that the effects were obtained at very low SAR and there were no observable side effects. Mechanism of this effect is unknown but effects are replicable.
What is important, at least for me to assure the reliability of Boris’ data, is that the exposures in his experiments are supervised by widely recognized expert – Niels Kuster.
The lack of mechanism for the effect observed by Boris made people “nervous”. At the same time it is difficult, based on the lack of known mechanism, to dismiss Boris’ findings. As Boris himself pointed out it would be time to find out the mechanism for the effect he observes in lab and in clinic “where the demodulation of signal takes place?”.
The other important implication of Boris’ study is that certain frequencies at very low SAR (non-thermal) are able to induce biological effects (e.g. effect on IP3/DAG signaling pathway) and even treat cancer. It means that the non-thermal RF exposures can non-thermally cause biological effects.
I wonder how it is possible that low-level RF effects can be used in practice in clinical treatment but there is a very strong opposition to the notion that cell phone radiation and other wireless exposures could as well induce not-thermal effects in cell phone users.
In clinic the non-thermal effects are observed and cancer patients can be healed but outside of clinic the non-thermal effects “disappear”?
Is it science or is it politics or is it “money talking”?
Follow my twitter @blogbrhp for short comments on variety of issues at BioEM2013.
BRHP - Between a Rock and a Hard Place 
A very recent paper that appeared in PLOS One ({Crocetti, 2013, PLOS, V. 8, Iss. 9) used pulsed EMF to inhibit the growth and induce apoptosis of MCF7 cells in vitro.
Pingback: Commentary on the BioEm conference, Thessaloniki, Greece by Dariusz Leszczynski | EMFacts Consultancy
One more point (if not already made here somewhere) is the total uncontrolled nature of the radiofrequencies and microwaves allowed in telecom and energy grid, which is the OPPOSITE of very controlled use for medical applications. Where is the logic, one must ask, in allowing this proliferation, all while prescribing very careful amounts and uses elsewhere?
One should also be aware that the FCC is apparently (not surprisingly) not even monitoring or reigning in existing antennas. The EMR Policy Institute has an expose video professionally done. Scientists, doctors, please compare your uses with random exposures upon the public, many who might be your patients.
Thank you.
Good points, Susan.
From someone with Microwave Sickness, I don’t need to know mechanisms to know that I become functionally, physically disabled in high EMR areas, including my own home, bombarded from outside (measurable) sources. I don’t need to know mechanisms to know the wireless proliferation is ruining people’s lives, people with no place to go to feel well again. I so took for granted my earlier life and feeling fine, never guessing the horror that would come – to be social but have to forgo many situations. To become more and more disabled in one’s own living space with difficulty blocking wireless broadband from cell towers, smartphones with higher and higher data, plus smart meter mesh signals. Being invisible in this disability, and thought to be nuts hurts, too. Life is a blessing, even in this pointless pain and sacrifice. But it was so simple before. Oh, my dear Jesus, I didn’t even know the wonderful life I had without pain induced by a foolish new technology.
I hope scientists will remember that effects are individual depending upon genetics, cellular health and many other factors. Some people have more stored toxins than others, including metals. Susan’s idea about the cascading is smart. RF impact is non-linear, based on a threshold with other factors that vary. It feels quite hopeless to wait for science to catch up with the reality of microwave harm, esp. with all these variables. One feels that lives are expendable, including one’s own, while science stares at its navel, pondering the center of its universe. While we suffer. While some of us die.
Remember French-Russian bioengineer Georges Lakhovsky and his book ‘Secret of Life’ ? ( available online in the Amazon). He used RF-cancer treatments succesfully already in 1920s with hundreds of patients. First he inspected cancer growth in plants and how suitable waveforms made the tumour stop growing. Based on that he perfected the multiple wave oscillator for humans. How much individual suffering would have been avoided within the last 100 years if the (western) medical community had been (then) open minded about new treatments?
In this Pasche-context, please, check also Carl Blackman’s wonderful introduction: ‘Treating cancer with amplitude-modulated electromagnetic fields: a potential paradigm shift, again?
Freely available in the Br J Cancer. 2012 January 17; 106(2): 241–242. –> also through PubMed.
(Like Susan and Mauro, I appreciate your blogging Dariusz, because this way I can have a look at the BEMS conference while not being able to be there.)
Thank you, Dariusz. This post deserves 5 stars because of the significance of the scientific community being intrigued by the cancer treatment aspects of non-thermal levels of RF radiation, yet resistance remains entrenched that harm cannot be caused by cell phones & cell towers. Bottom Line: There is a biological effect to non-thermal RF radiation, and whatever the mechanisms are (most likely multiple mechanisms; truly a cascade of biological events) does not matter. We still don’t know the mechanism for smoking causing lung cancer, but we accept it. These esoteric scientific studies showing non-thermal effects to RF radiation must be translated for the lay person as well as the decisions makers. The WHO’s EMF Project is coming to a conclusion that will be set in stone once it is written. This is important information to be communicated to Emilie van Deventer.
Li and Héroux published similar study: Li Y, Héroux P. Extra-Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields alter Cancer Cells through Metabolic Restriction (Submitted on 21 Sep 2012) Cornell University Library
Thanks Dariusz for your very interesting piece.
I lost the opportunity to be at the meeting, so your blogs are very helpful to me.
Thank you again
Mauro