Possible Curative Role of Electromagnetic Field on Cancer Treatment and Link to Temozolomide Resistance and MGMT

Abstract

One of the mechanisms that has an important role in the differentiation of stem cells into more specialized cell types during embryonic development is the methylation of genomic DNA. Like other epigenetic mechanisms, DNA methylation also functions as the interface of control unit of DNA-protein relationship after embryonic development and even at all stages of ontogeny. For this reason, errors that occur in the realization of DNA methylation in embryogenesis and ontogeny appear as different pathologies and are reflected in the clinic as different diseases. It is known that the application of electromagnetic field (EMF) has a healing and supportive effect on human health with studies conducted in different fields of medicine. The effects of the electromagnetic field on cancer cells have also been evaluated from different perspectives by numerous studies. One of these important effects is the effects that occur at the epigenetic level. In addition, the effect of temozolomide (TMZ), which is an important agent used in cancer treatment, is directly related to epigenetic mechanisms and net DNA methylation. There are some deficiencies in the studies conducted on this subject. For example, the extent to which the O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation is affected while the electromagnetic field affects cancer cells. No any significant data exist about the effect of electromagnetic field on MGMT promoter methylation. The aim of this study is to pay attention on whether EMF can affect promoter methylation and whether MGMT promoter methylation is being affected from it.