“Live cells can absorb signals from cellular telephones,” states a new study by Prof. Roni Zeger of the Department of Biological Regulation at the Weizmann Institute of Science. The study examined how live cells respond to radiation emitted by mobile telephones. Although the study sheds no light on the debate regarding the effects on health of cellular communications, the researchers hope that the present study’s results will enable future researchers to address health issues.
The study examined both the intracellular and intercellular communications system. The Human Genome Project discovered that each cell has 200 “switchboards” which transfer incoming signals to the cell nucleus. The intracellular route is based on a chain of five to eight receptor proteins that forward the signal. The signals are mainly external physical stimuli, such as heat, or the identification of various molecules. In the latter case, the receptors transmit a message to the “addressee” within the cell.
According to Zeger, the study found that there are a number of “extensions” for each communications channel, and that each extension handles designated signals, which are sent to the ‘addressee” in the cell for expression. He adds that understanding these channels can help researchers understand disruptions in intracellular communications and help develop more effective treatments with few side effects for various diseases, including cancer.
The researchers claim that cellular telephone radiation might be one factor that activates the intracellular communications system, which enables living cells to respond in various ways to different radiation strengths and frequencies. The results cannot determine whether the use of cellular telephones carries any health risk. The study was conducted on cells exposed to radiation in the cellular frequency range for 45 minutes.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on September 3, 2007
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