title: BEMER Electromagnetic Field Therapy Reduces Cancer Cell Radioresistance by Enhanced ROS Formation and Induced DNA Damage.
abstract: Each year more than 450,000 Germans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer subsequently receiving standard multimodal therapies including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. On top, molecular-targeted agents are increasingly administered. Owing to intrinsic and acquired resistance to these therapeutic approaches, both the better molecular understanding of tumor biology and the consideration of alternative and complementary therapeutic support are warranted and open up broader and novel possibilities for therapy personalization. Particularly the latter is underpinned by the increasing utilization of non-invasive complementary and alternative medicine by the population. One investigated approach is the application of low-dose electromagnetic fields (EMF) to modulate cellular processes. A particular system is the BEMER therapy as a Physical Vascular Therapy for which a normalization of the microcirculation has been demonstrated by a low-frequency, pulsed EMF pattern. Open remains whether this EMF pattern impacts on cancer cell survival upon treatment with radiotherapy, chemotherapy and the molecular-targeted agent Cetuximab inhibiting the epidermal growth factor receptor. Using more physiological, three-dimensional, matrix-based cell culture models and cancer cell lines originating from lung, head and neck, colorectal and pancreas, we show significant changes in distinct intermediates of the glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle pathways and enhanced cancer cell radiosensitization associated with increased DNA double strand break numbers and higher levels of reactive oxygen species upon BEMER treatment relative to controls. Intriguingly, exposure of cells to the BEMER EMF pattern failed to result in sensitization to chemotherapy and Cetuximab. Further studies are necessary to better understand the mechanisms underlying the cellular alterations induced by the BEMER EMF pattern and to clarify the application areas for human disease.
authors.affiliation: OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.|Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Storch
authors.affiliation: OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.|Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dickreuter
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Genetics, Genome Analysis Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Artati
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Genetics, Genome Analysis Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.|Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Genetik, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.|German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), München-Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adamski
authors.affiliation: OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.|Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology, Dresden, Germany.|Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.|German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Dresden, Germany.|German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nils
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5684-629X
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cordes
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004249:DNA Damage; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000528:radiation effects*; D060733:Electromagnetic Radiation; D006801:Humans; D055909:Magnetic Field Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000528:radiation effects*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species