Background and Aim: This study was undertaken to rigorously investigate the effects of extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) on bladder cancer cells and apoptosis-related pathways. Methods: T24 and 5637 cell lines were exposed to a 6 mT, 50 Hz magnetic field for 2 hours per day over three consecutive days. Cell viability was systematically assessed by MTT assay which revealed a significant reduction in survival of cancer cells following ELF-MF exposure. Results: Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed downregulation of the anti-apoptotic gene BCL2 and upregulation of the tumor suppressor PTEN. Moreover, the tumor-suppressive microRNA miR-34a was markedly increased, while the oncogenic miR-21 was decreased. These effects were largely specific to cancer cells, with minimal impact on normal urothelial cells, thereby indicating a degree of selective biological responsiveness. Conclusion: The results suggest that ELF-MF can modulate key apoptotic regulators and selectively impair cancer cell viability. This work highlights the potential of ELF-MF as a non-invasive physical modality to enhance apoptosis and suppress tumor progression, providing a foundation for future studies in combination with conventional chemotherapeutics.
Gharekhanlou et al. (Wed,) studied this question.