Mobile phone radiation may affect proteins in the human tissues

Washington, Feb 25 (UNI) Mobile phones may also alter proteins in the body tissues besides causing tumour and other problems, a research claims.

Earlier studies have shown that mobile phone radiation (radiofrequency modulated electromagnetic fields) alters protein expression and activity in human endothelial cell line.

But the new study by the researchers from Finland for the first time have examined whether a local exposure of human skin to RF-EMF will cause changes in protein expression in living people, the Science Daily reported.

Protein expression is a subcomponent of gene expression.

It consists of the stages after DNA has been translated into amino acid chains, which are ultimately folded into proteins. Protein expression is commonly used by proteomics researchers to denote the measurement of the presence and abundance of one or more proteins in a particular cell or tissue.

''Mobile phone radiation has some biological effect. Even if the changes are small, they still exist'' , says Dariusz Leszczynski, Research Professor at Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority.

In the study, a small area of forearm's skin in volunteers was exposed to GSM signal for one hour. After that skin biopsies were collected from exposed and non-exposed areas of skin and all extractable proteins were examined. The analysis of 580 proteins identified 8 proteins that were statistically significantly affected.

According to Leszczynski it is much too early to say will these changes induced by the mobile phone radiation have any effect on health.

''The aim of this project was not detecting any possible health effects, but to find out whether living human skin responds to mobile phone radiation and whether proteomics approach is useful in sorting out this issue'' , he states.

UNI XC ARB BST2014