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Millimeter waves alter DNA secondary structures and modulate the transcriptome in human fibroblasts

2022 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 784

In primary human dermal fibroblasts, repeated 60 GHz millimeter-wave exposure (2.6 mW cm-2; 46.8 J cm-2 d-1) for 2 and 4 days induced a distinct physiological response with transcriptomic and genomic alterations. The study reports non-thermal changes in trans…

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2022
Study typein_vitro
Reported directionHarm
Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Millimeter waves alter DNA secondary structures and modulate the transcriptome in human fibroblasts Lawler NB, Evans CW, Romanenko S, Chaudhari N, Fear M, Wood F, Smith NM, Wallace VP, Swaminathan Iyer K. Millimeter waves alter DNA secondary structures and modulate the transcriptome in human fibroblasts. Biomed Opt Express. 2022 Apr 28;13(5):3131-3144. doi: 10.1364/BOE.458478. Abstract As millimetre wave (MMW) frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum are increasingly adopted in modern technologies such as mobile communications and networking, characterising the biological effects is critical in determining safe exposure levels. We study the exposure of primary human dermal fibroblasts to MMWs, finding MMWs trigger genomic and transcriptomic alterations. In particular, repeated 60 GHz, 2.6 mW cm-2, 46.8 J cm-2 d-1 MMW doses induce a unique physiological response after 2 and 4 days exposure. We show that high dose MMWs induce simultaneous non-thermal alterations to the transcriptome and DNA structural dynamics, including formation of G-quadruplex and i-motif secondary structures, but not DNA damage. Excerpt In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that high dose MMWs can induce characteristic transcriptomic and genomic modifications in primary human fibroblasts that are not associated with a typical cellular thermal response. We show that MMW-induced changes at the transcriptome level are distinct from a traditional cytokine-induced transition, and that they may be associated with alterations in DNA structural dynamics. These changes represent unique interactions of MMWs with biological material and illustrate the importance of both power density and dose when determining safety margins for longer periods. Open access paper: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typein_vitro
Effect directionharm
PopulationPrimary human dermal fibroblasts
Sample sizeNot supplied
ExposuremmWave · 60000 MHz · 2 and 4 days (repeated doses; 46.8 J cm-2 d-1)
Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In primary human dermal fibroblasts, repeated 60 GHz millimeter-wave exposure (2.6 mW cm-2; 46.8 J cm-2 d-1) for 2 and 4 days induced a distinct physiological response with transcriptomic and genomic alterations. The study reports non-thermal changes in transcriptome and DNA structural dynamics (including G-quadruplex and i-motif formation) but not DNA damage.

Outcomes measured

  • Transcriptomic alterations
  • Genomic alterations
  • DNA secondary structure dynamics (G-quadruplex and i-motif formation)
  • DNA damage
  • Thermal vs non-thermal response

Limitations

  • In vitro study in primary human dermal fibroblasts; generalizability to humans in vivo not addressed in abstract
  • Exposure described as high dose; relevance to typical real-world exposures not established in abstract
  • Sample size and detailed methods not provided in the abstract
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "in_vitro",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "mmWave",
    "source": "mobile communications and networking",
    "frequency_mhz": 60000,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "2 and 4 days (repeated doses; 46.8 J cm-2 d-1)"
  },
  "population": "Primary human dermal fibroblasts",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Transcriptomic alterations",
    "Genomic alterations",
    "DNA secondary structure dynamics (G-quadruplex and i-motif formation)",
    "DNA damage",
    "Thermal vs non-thermal response"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In primary human dermal fibroblasts, repeated 60 GHz millimeter-wave exposure (2.6 mW cm-2; 46.8 J cm-2 d-1) for 2 and 4 days induced a distinct physiological response with transcriptomic and genomic alterations. The study reports non-thermal changes in transcriptome and DNA structural dynamics (including G-quadruplex and i-motif formation) but not DNA damage.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "In vitro study in primary human dermal fibroblasts; generalizability to humans in vivo not addressed in abstract",
    "Exposure described as high dose; relevance to typical real-world exposures not established in abstract",
    "Sample size and detailed methods not provided in the abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "millimeter waves",
    "mmWave",
    "60 GHz",
    "human dermal fibroblasts",
    "transcriptome",
    "DNA secondary structure",
    "G-quadruplex",
    "i-motif",
    "non-thermal effects",
    "power density",
    "dose"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "5g-policy",
      "weight": 0.6,
      "reason": "Study examines biological effects of 60 GHz millimeter waves, a frequency range used in modern communications."
    }
  ]
}
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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1364/boe.458478
PubMed: Not supplied

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