HarmLow evidencePaper 6851

Electromagnetic exposure changes human Schwann cell motility and transcriptomic profile of hearing-loss-related genes

Keywords

#electromagnetic fields #EMF #human Schwann cells #cell motility #cell proliferation #transcriptomics #hearing loss #vestibular schwannoma #oncotransformation

In human Schwann cells, chronic EMF exposure affected proliferation, migration, and transcriptomic profile. Motility protein expression increased, cell-to-cell adhesion protein expression decreased, and differentially expressed genes clustered in pathways rel…

Study snapshot

PublicationiScience · 2026

Study typein_vitro

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Schwann cells (SCs) are glial cells of the peripheral nervous system with functional plasticity in physio-pathological conditions, such as injury and oncotransformation. Interestingly, human SCs seem to develop, mature, and respond differently to other species to environmental challenges. Recently, concerns have been raised about the expansion of environmental electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and the increasing incidence of vestibular schwannoma (VS). We previously demonstrated that SCs respond to EMF by acquiring a state prone to oncotransformation. However, the biodependence of such transformation on the species (rodents versus humans) deserves clarification. Here, we obtained and characterized human SCs, showing that EMF affects proliferation, migration, and transcriptomic profile. The expression of motility proteins increased, while that of cell-to-cell adhesion proteins decreased. The functional clustering of genes differentially expressed matched those involved in hearing loss. In summary, we provide insights into the effects of chronic EMF on human SCs, highlighting its potential role in VS onset.

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

PopulationHuman Schwann cells

Sample sizeNot supplied

Exposureunknown · chronic

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 88% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

Cell proliferation
Cell migration/motility
Transcriptomic profile
Expression of motility proteins
Expression of cell-to-cell adhesion proteins
Differentially expressed genes related to hearing loss

Limitations

In vitro study
Exposure parameters were not specified in the abstract
Sample size was not stated
The abstract describes potential relevance to vestibular schwannoma onset but does not demonstrate clinical disease in humans

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "in_vitro",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "unknown",
    "source": "other",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "chronic"
  },
  "population": "Human Schwann cells",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Cell proliferation",
    "Cell migration/motility",
    "Transcriptomic profile",
    "Expression of motility proteins",
    "Expression of cell-to-cell adhesion proteins",
    "Differentially expressed genes related to hearing loss"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In human Schwann cells, chronic EMF exposure affected proliferation, migration, and transcriptomic profile. Motility protein expression increased, cell-to-cell adhesion protein expression decreased, and differentially expressed genes clustered in pathways related to hearing loss.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "In vitro study",
    "Exposure parameters were not specified in the abstract",
    "Sample size was not stated",
    "The abstract describes potential relevance to vestibular schwannoma onset but does not demonstrate clinical disease in humans"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.88,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "electromagnetic fields",
    "EMF",
    "human Schwann cells",
    "cell motility",
    "cell proliferation",
    "transcriptomics",
    "hearing loss",
    "vestibular schwannoma",
    "oncotransformation"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}

AI can be wrong. Always verify against the paper.

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: Not supplied
PubMed: Not supplied

Read the original paper →