Manmade Electromagnetic Fields and Oxidative Stress-Biological Effects and Consequences for Health.

Concomitant with the ever-expanding use of electrical appliances and mobile communication systems, public and occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the extremely-low-frequency and radiofrequency range has become a widely debated environmental risk factor for health. Radiofrequency (RF) EMF and extremely-low-frequency (ELF) MF have been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), potentially leading to cellular or systemic oxidative stress, was frequently found to be influenced by EMF exposure in animals and cells.

Inducible TDG knockout models to study epigenetic regulation.

Mechanistic and functional studies by gene disruption or editing approaches often suffer from confounding effects like compensatory cellular adaptations generated by clonal selection. These issues become particularly relevant when studying factors directly involved in genetic or epigenetic maintenance. To provide a genetic tool for functional and mechanistic investigation of DNA-repair mediated active DNA demethylation, we generated experimental models in mice and murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs) based on a minigene of the thymine-DNA glycosylase (TDG).

Assessment of Genotoxicity in Human Cells Exposed to Modulated Electromagnetic Fields of Wireless Communication Devices.

Modulated electromagnetic fields (wEMFs), as generated by modern communication technologies, have raised concerns about adverse health effects. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies them as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2B), yet, the underlying molecular mechanisms initiating and promoting tumorigenesis remain elusive. Here, we comprehensively assess the impact of technologically relevant wEMF modulations on the genome integrity of cultured human cells, investigating cell type-specificities as well as time- and dose-dependencies.

ELF-MF exposure affects the robustness of epigenetic programming during granulopoiesis.

Extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) have been classified as "possibly carcinogenic" to humans on the grounds of an epidemiological association of ELF-MF exposure with an increased risk of childhood leukaemia. Yet, underlying mechanisms have remained obscure. Genome instability seems an unlikely reason as the energy transmitted by ELF-MF is too low to damage DNA and induce cancer-promoting mutations.

Active DNA demethylation by DNA repair: Facts and uncertainties.

Pathways that control and modulate DNA methylation patterning in mammalian cells were poorly understood for a long time, although their importance in establishing and maintaining cell type-specific gene expression was well recognized. The discovery of proteins capable of converting 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to putative substrates for DNA repair introduced a novel and exciting conceptual framework for the investigation and ultimate discovery of molecular mechanisms of DNA demethylation. Against the prevailing notion that DNA methylation is a static epigenetic mark, it turned out to be dynamic and distinct mechanisms appear to have evolved to effect global and locus-specific DNA demethylation.