Optimization of a therapeutic electromagnetic field (EMF) to retard breast cancer tumor growth and vascularity

Background: This study provided additional data on the effects of a therapeutic electromagnetic field (EMF) device on growth and vascularization of murine 16/C mammary adenocarcinoma cells implanted in C3H/HeJ mice. Methods: The therapeutic EMF device generated a defined 120 Hz semi sine wave pulse signal of variable intensity. Murine 16/C mammary adenocarcinoma tumor fragments were implanted subcutaneously between the scapulae of syngeneic C3H mice. Once the tumor grew to 100 mm3, daily EMF treatments were started by placing the cage of mice within the EMF field. Treatment ranged from 10 to 20 milli-Tesla (mT) and was given for 3 to 80 minutes either once or twice a day for 12 days. Tumors were measured and volumes calculated each 3–4 days. Results: Therapeutic EMF treatment significantly suppressed tumor growth in all 7 EMF treated groups. Exposure to 20mT for 10 minutes twice a day was the most effective tumor growth suppressor. The effect of EMF treatment on extent of tumor vascularization, necrosis and viable area was determined after euthanasia. The EMF reduced the vascular (CD31 immunohistochemically positive) volume fraction and increased the necrotic volume of the tumor. Treatment with 15 mT for 10 min/ d gave the maximum anti-angiogenic effect. Lack of a significant correlation between tumor CD 31 positive area and tumor growth rate indicates a mechanism for suppression of tumor growth in addition to suppression of tumor vascularization. Conclusion: It is proposed that EMF therapy aimed at suppression of tumor growth and vascularization may prove a safe alternative for patients whether they are or are not candidates for conventional cancer therapy

Therapeutic Electromagnetic Field Effects on Angiogenesis and Tumor Growth

Background: A new approach to cancer therapy based on the application of therapeutic electromagnetic fields (TEMF) has been developed by EMF Therapeutics, Inc., Chattanooga, TN, USA. This study was designed to assess the effect of TEMF on tumor vascularization and growth of murine 16/C mammmary adenocarcinoma cells in C3H/HeJ mice. Materials and Methods: Implanted tumors were allowed to grow for seven days until the tumor volume reached 100 mm3 before treatment was started. Mice (20 per control, 10 per EMF exposed group) received treatment (10 minutes per day with 0, 10 mT, 15 mT or 20 mT) with a 120 pulses per second pulsating magnetic field. Tumor growth was assessed throughout the treatment period. The extent of tumor vascularization was evaluated by immrmohistochemical staining for CD31. Results: Exposure to TEMF significantly reduced tumor growth, significantly reduced the percentage of area stained for CD31 indicating a reduction in the extent of vascularization and there was a concomitant increase in the extent of tumor necrosis. Conclusion: A novel TEMF treatment safely reduced growth and vasculadzalion of implanted breast cancers in mice. Implication: TEMF may prove a useful adjuvant to increase the therapeutic index of conventional cancer therapy

Phytophagous hoverflies (Diptera Syrphidae) as indicators of changing landscapes

Spatial and temporal differences in landscape patterns are of considerable interest for understanding ecological processes. In this study, we assessed habitat quality by using the Syrph The Net database and data on decreasing species richness over a 25-year period for the two largest phytophagous hoverfly genera (Merodon and Cheilosia). Furthermore, within this time frame, we explored congruence between ecological responses (species richness and Biodiversity Maintenance Function for these two genera) and landscape structural changes through correlation analysis. Our results indicate that landscapes have experienced changes in aggregation, isolation/connectivity and landscape diversity, with these parameters being significantly correlated with Cheilosia species richness loss and habitat quality. We conclude that the genus Cheilosia is a good bioindicator that can highlight not only the current quality of an area but also temporal changes in landscape patterns.Peer reviewe

Static Magnetic Field Therapy: A Critical Review of Treatment Parameters

Static magnetic field (SMF) therapy, applied via a permanent magnet attached to the skin, is used by people worldwide for self-care. Despite a lack of established SMF dosage and treatment regimens, multiple studies are conducted to evaluate SMF therapy effectiveness. Our objectives in conducting this review are to:(i) summarize SMF research conducted in humans; (ii) critically evaluate reporting quality of SMF dosages and treatment parameters and (iii) propose a set of criteria for reporting SMF treatment parameters in future clinical trials. We searched 27 electronic databases and reference lists. Only English language human studies were included. Excluded were studies of electromagnetic fields, transcranial magnetic stimulation, magnets placed on acupuncture points, animal studies, abstracts, posters and editorials. Data were extracted on clinical indication, study design and 10 essential SMF parameters. Three reviewers assessed quality of reporting and calculated a quality assessment score for each of the 10 treatment parameters. Fifty-six studies were reviewed, 42 conducted in patient populations and 14 in healthy volunteers. The SMF treatment parameters most often and most completely described were site of application, magnet support device and frequency and duration of application. Least often and least completely described were characteristics of the SMF: magnet dimensions, measured field strength and estimated distance of the magnet from the target tissue. Thirty-four (61%) of studies failed to provide enough detail about SMF dosage to permit protocol replication by other investigators. Our findings highlight the need to optimize SMF dosing parameters for individual clinical conditions before proceeding to a full-scale clinical trial

An integrated cell atlas of the lung in health and disease

Single-cell technologies have transformed our understanding of human tissues. Yet, studies typically capture only a limited number of donors and disagree on cell type definitions. Integrating many single-cell datasets can address these limitations of individual studies and capture the variability present in the population. Here we present the integrated Human Lung Cell Atlas (HLCA), combining 49 datasets of the human respiratory system into a single atlas spanning over 2.4 million cells from 486 individuals. The HLCA presents a consensus cell type re-annotation with matching marker genes, including annotations of rare and previously undescribed cell types. Leveraging the number and diversity of individuals in the HLCA, we identify gene modules that are associated with demographic covariates such as age, sex and body mass index, as well as gene modules changing expression along the proximal-to-distal axis of the bronchial tree. Mapping new data to the HLCA enables rapid data annotation and interpretation. Using the HLCA as a reference for the study of disease, we identify shared cell states across multiple lung diseases, including SPP1+ profibrotic monocyte-derived macrophages in COVID-19, pulmonary fibrosis and lung carcinoma. Overall, the HLCA serves as an example for the development and use of large-scale, cross-dataset organ atlases within the Human Cell Atlas

Advanced Electroporation Techniques in Biology and Medicine

A reflection of the intense study of the effects of electromagnetic fields on living tissues that has taken place during the last decades, Advanced Electroporation Techniques in Biology and Medicine summarizes most recent experimental findings and theories related to permeabilization of biomembranes by pulsed electric fields. Edited by experts and including contributions from pioneers in the field, the book focuses on biophysical mechanisms of electroporation and applications of this phenomenon in biomedical research and medicine. The field of electroporation is now mature enough to move from journal pages to book covers. The book leads readers from the basics and history of electroporation, through mechanisms of membrane permeabilization in lipid bilayers and living cells, to electrically-mediated gene delivery and cancer therapy in animals and humans. This book is an interdisciplinary compilation intended broadly for biomedical and physical scientists, engineers, and clinicians. It can also be used as a textbook for students in advanced courses in biomedical engineering, molecular and cell biology, as well as in biophysics and clinical medicine. [From the back cover]https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/bioelectrics_books/1004/thumbnail.jp

, 2018. Phytophagous hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) as indicators of changing landscapes.

Spatial and temporal differences in landscape patterns are of considerable interest for understanding ecological processes. In this study, we assessed habitat quality by using the Syrph The Net database and data on decreasing species richness over a 25-year period for the two largest phytophagous hoverfly genera (Merodon and Cheilosia). Furthermore, within this time frame, we explored congruence between ecological responses (species richness and Biodiversity Maintenance Function for these two genera) and landscape structural changes through correlation analysis. Our results indicate that landscapes have experienced changes in aggregation, isolation/connectivity and landscape diversity, with these parameters being significantly correlated with Cheilosia species richness loss and habitat quality. We conclude that the genus Cheilosia is a good bioindicator that can highlight not only the current quality of an area but also temporal changes in landscape patterns