1.7 Cell culture study on the effect of magnetic fields on the development of Alzheimer’s disease

Research or contracting company: Neurobiology Laboratory – Clinical Neurobiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Project management: PD Dr. Julian Hellmann-Regen
Beginn: 01.11.2022
End: 31.10.2025

Background

Since the late 1990s, epidemiological studies have provided evidence of a possible link between occupational exposure to low frequency magnetic fields (LF-MF) and an increased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Laboratory studies investigating this relationship have yielded highly inconsistent results: In addition to negative effects, both protective or even therapeutic effects of LF-MF in Alzheimer’s dementia have been shown – and no effects of these fields on Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, a potential mechanism of action that could explain how LF-MF could influence the onset and development of Alzheimer’s dementia is lacking.

Objective

In this research project, it will be investigated on a cellular level whether LF-MF influence processes of nervous system cells (i.e. neurons, astrocytes, glial cells) that play a role in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. A distinction is to be made between the direct effect of the magnetic field on biological target structures and the effect of electric currents on the cell.

Implementation

Human nerve and nerve tissue cells are exposed for 2–120 h with magnetic fields in the frequency range from 16 Hz (overhead railway lines) to 50 Hz (power grid) and in the field strength range from 0.04 µT to the reference value of 200 µT (at 50 Hz) recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) as well as a sham exposure under controlled laboratory conditions. The exposure will be blinded (i.e. it will not be known during the experiment whether the cells were exposed to the fields).

After exposure, it will be measured whether there are changes in the conversion of genetic information into proteins as well as the concentration of proteins that are important for the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (including amyloid precursor protein (APP), β-amyloid, tau protein). In addition, changes in oxidative stress in the cells will be analysed because this is frequently mentioned as a possible contributing factor to the disease.