title: Exposure to 3G mobile phone signals does not affect the biological features of brain tumor cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increase in mobile phone use has generated concerns about possible risks to human health, especially the development of brain tumors. Whether tumor patients should continue to use mobile telephones has remained unclear because of a paucity of information. Herein, we investigated whether electromagnetic fields from mobile phones could alter the biological features of human tumor cells and act as a tumor-promoting agent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human glioblastoma cell lines, U251-MG and U87-MG, were exposed to 1950-MHz time division-synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) at a specific absorption rate (maximum SAR = 5.0 W/kg) for 12, 24, and 48 h. Cell morphologies and ultra-structures were observed by microscopy and the rates of apoptosis and cell cycle progression were monitored by flow cytometry. Additionally, cell growth was determined using the CKK-8 assay, and the expression levels of tumor and apoptosis-related genes and proteins were analyzed by real-time PCR and western blotting, respectively. Tumor formation and invasiveness were measured using a tumorigenicity assay in vivo and migration assays in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in either biological features or tumor formation ability were observed between unexposed and exposed glioblastoma cells. Our data showed that exposure to 1950-MHz TD-SCDMA electromagnetic fields for up to 48 h did not act as a cytotoxic or tumor-promoting agent to affect the proliferation or gene expression profile of glioblastoma cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings implied that exposing brain tumor cells in vitro for up to 48 h to 1950-MHz continuous TD-SCDMA electromagnetic fields did not elicit a general cell stress response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of PLA General Hospital, 51 Fushi Road, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yu-xiao
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: China Telecommunication Technology Labs, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Guo-qing
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of PLA General Hospital, 51 Fushi Road, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiang-ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of PLA General Hospital, 51 Fushi Road, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing-hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of blood molecular biology, Institute of blood transfusion medicine, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shou-ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of PLA General Hospital, 51 Fushi Road, Beijing, People's Republic of China. zhangzhiwen_301@yahoo.com.cn.
authors.forename: Zhi-wen
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, People's Republic of China. zhangyi_612@126.com.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of PLA General Hospital, 51 Fushi Road, Beijing, People's Republic of China. anmingli301@163.com.
authors.forename: An-ming
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000528:radiation effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000528:radiation effects; D040421:Cell Phone; D002468:Cell Physiological Phenomena / Q000528:radiation effects; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D011829:Radiation Dosage
chemical_list: D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins