Magnetic Field Parameters and Biological Sample Differences That Lead to Differential Bioeffects

Abstract

AbstractWe have to admit that the literature concerning bioeffects of electromagnetic fields is replete with reports that cannot be reproduced in other labs. Besides the intended or sub-conscious experimenter bias, which can be avoided or much reduced by the gold standard of blinded analysis, most inconsistences in the literature were actually caused by confounding effects, different magnetic field parameters, and biological sample differences. The goal of this chapter is to summarize the factors that contribute to the differential bioeffects of static magnetic fields (SMFs), including magnetic field exposure parameters, such as magnetic field types, magnetic flux density, homogeneousness, field direction and distribution, exposure time, as well as biological sample differences, including cell type, cell density, cell status, and other factors. It is clear that all these aspects are crucial for the diverse effects of SMFs on biological samples, which also lead to the seemingly lack of consistencies in literature. Therefore, we encourage people to not only perform double blinded analysis in independent studies, but also clearly describe the experimental details, including various magnetic field exposure parameters, biological samples, and experimental procedures. This will be crucial for people to perform further subjective analysis and mechanistic investigations.KeywordsMagnetic field (MF)Static magnetic fields (SMFs)Time-varying magnetic field (TVMF)Dynamic magnetic field (DMF)Magnetic field intensityGradient magnetic fields (GMF)Differential effects of magnetic fields