EAGER: Collaborative Research: Some Effects of Weak Electric and Magnetic Fields on Biological Systems

PIS：Barnes/Beane Proposal编号：1644371/1644384关于电场和磁场可能对健康造成的影响的控制已被提出，涉及雷达脉冲、电力线、手机和其他电磁场来源，如Wi-Fi、电视和计算机。许多孤立的实验表明，弱场可以改变生物系统的功能，但尚不知道将场和效应联系在一起的总体机制(S)。这项拟议的工作旨在研究场和它们似乎影响的对象之间的基本联系--从物理到化学再到生物学。这项工作将建立在理论和实验工作的基础上，这些工作表明，微弱的电场和磁场可以改变自由基对的复合时间和自由基的浓度，如活性氧物种(ROS)，并可以改变正常细胞、癌细胞和浮游生物的生长速度。通过提供一种改进的能力来指定暴露条件，以可重复地抑制或加速癌症等细胞的生长，从而使这些领域可以用于实验和治疗，将实现广泛的影响。该项目由一个新成立的合作项目领导，将对两所大学的研究生和本科生进行交叉培训：科罗拉多大学的电气工程专业的学生将接触生物、化学和物理，而西密歇根大学的生物医学专业的学生将进行工程和物理实践体验。关于电磁场的生物效应的智力挑战是建立从物理到化学再到生物学的因果逻辑链，再到潜在的健康影响、潜在的临床用途，以及探索其他生物学问题的潜在工具。许多孤立的实验表明，弱场可以改变生物系统的功能。虽然还不知道连结领域和影响的主要机制(S)，但在某些情况下，已经牵涉到了自由基。这项工作旨在提供一系列测量，以更全面地表征弱磁场对细胞生长的影响。实验和理论工作将被用来检验在标准细胞培养培养箱内的磁屏蔽插入物中，这些磁场在小于1？T到1mT范围内对纤维肉瘤HT1080细胞、成纤维细胞和扁平线虫的a)细胞生长速率、b)自由基浓度和c)膜电位的影响。静态磁场数据将与自由基浓度变化的理论预测进行比较。随时间变化的磁场测量将作为幅度、频率、重复率和曝光时间的函数。在低频(小于2千赫)下进行的测量将通过使用环形碟子以及在单独的电场暴露系统中将直接磁场效应与感应电场和感应电流的效应分开。从1 MHz到10 MHz的测量将寻找超精细跃迁的影响，这些超精细跃迁被预测为地球上氢原子的超精细跃迁-S磁场在45？T附近-作为幅度、频率、曝光时间和静态磁场的函数。这项工作将集中在原子核自旋与自由基对碎片中的活性电子之间的耦合以及与生物周期的耦合，生物周期的范围从几秒到几小时或更长。将使用荧光染料对O-2(超氧化物)、NADPH(烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸磷酸氧化酶)和H_2O_2(过氧化氢)进行自由基浓度测量，并检测膜电位的变化。通过拟议的工作获得的新信息应该有助于我们了解雷达脉冲、电力线、手机、Wi-Fi、电视、计算机等可能或可能不会导致健康影响的电场暴露条件。通过提供一种改进的能力来指定暴露条件，以可重复地抑制或加速癌症等细胞的生长，从而使这些领域可以用于实验和治疗，将实现广泛的影响。该项目将对两所大学的研究生和本科生进行交叉培训：科罗拉多大学的电气工程专业的学生将接触生物、化学和物理，而西密歇根大学的生物医学专业的学生将进行工程和物理实践经验。

PIs: Barnes/BeaneProposal Numbers: 1644371/1644384Controversy over possible health effects of electric and magnetic fields has been raised with respect to radar pulses, power lines, cell phones and other sources of electromagnetic fields such as Wi-Fi, TV and computers. Many isolated experiments have shown that weak fields can modify the function of biological systems but no overarching mechanism(s) linking fields and effects are known. The proposed work aims to investigate the fundamental link--from the physics though the chemistry to the biology--between the fields and the objects they seem to influence. The work will build on theoretical and experimental work that shows weak electric and magnetic fields can modify the recombination times for radical pairs and concentrations of radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and can modify the growth rate of normal and cancer cells and planarians. Broad impact will be achieved by providing an improved ability to specify exposure conditions that will inhibit or accelerate the growth of cells such as cancers reproducibly so that these fields can be used both experimentally and therapeutically. This project, led by a newly formed collaboration, will result in the cross-training of graduate and undergraduate students at two universities: electrical engineering students at the University of Colorado will gain exposure to biology, chemistry and physics, while biomedical students at Western Michigan University will undertake engineering and physics practical experiences.The intellectual challenge concerning the biological effects of electromagnetic fields has been to build a cause and effect chain of logic from the physics through the chemistry to the biology and on to potential health effects, potential clinical uses, and potential tools to probe other biological questions. Many isolated experiments have shown that weak fields can modify the function of biological systems. Though no overarching mechanism(s) linking fields and effects are known; radicals have been implicated in some instances. This work seeks to provide a series of measurements that more completely characterizes the effects of weak magnetic fields on cell growth. Experimental and theoretical work will be carried out to examine the effects of these fields from less than 1 ìT to 1 mT on a) cell growth rates, b) radical concentrations, and c) membrane potentials in fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells, fibroblast cells and planarian flatworms in a magnetically shielded insert inside standard cell culture incubators. Static magnetic field data will be compared with the theoretical predictions for changes in radical concentrations. Time varying magnetic field measurements will be made as functions of amplitude, frequency, repetition rate and length of exposure. Measurements made at low frequencies (less than 2 kHz) will separate direct magnetic field effects from the effects of induced electric fields and induced currents by use of a ringed dish as well as in a separate electric field exposure system. Measurements from 1 to 10 MHz will look for the effects of hyperfine transitions that are predicted for hydrogen atoms in the earth?s magnetic field near 45 ìT as a function of amplitudes, frequency, exposure times and static magnetic fields. The work will focus on the coupling between nuclear spins to the active electrons within the fragments of radical pairs and with biological cycle times, which can range from fractions of seconds to hours or longer. Radical concentration measurements will be made using fluorescent dyes for O-2 (super oxide), NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase) and H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), and changes in membrane potentials will be examined. The new information gained as a result of the proposed work should help us understand exposure conditions to the fields from radar pulses, power lines, cell phones, Wi-Fi, TV, computers, etc., that may or may not lead to health effects. Broad impact will be achieved by providing an improved ability to specify exposure conditions that will inhibit or accelerate the growth of cells such as cancers reproducibly so that these fields can be used both experimentally and therapeutically. The project will result in the cross-training of graduate and undergraduate students at two universities: electrical engineering students at the University of Colorado will gain exposure to biology, chemistry and physics, while biomedical students at Western Michigan University will undertake engineering and physics practical experiences.