It is well known that electromagnetic fields affect cellular biochemistry, but the interactions are complex enough that electromagnetic therapies have yet to emerge in any robust way. It remains challenging to replicate and explain benefits arising in some studies from even long-standing forms of electromagnetic therapy, such as the use of pulsed electromagnetic field devices. While in principle carefully sculpted electromagnetic fields can enhance or impede specific biochemical reactions occurring in cells, in practice this line of development remains largely unexplored. Here, by shielding flies with and without mutations affecting mitochondrial function from the natural geomagnetic field, reducing field strength to a very low level, researchers show that the geomagnetic field meaningfully affects mitochondrial function, and thus longevity. The effects are clearly complex and circumstantial, however, far from straightforward.
Modulation of magnetic field strength may be a potential therapeutic strategy, particularly in the context of ageing and neurodegenerative disease. Research on magnetic fields (MFs) has been motivated by diverse factors, including interplanetary space travel, emissions from medical equipment, and the mechanisms underlying magnetoreception in migratory birds. The biochemistry of hypomagnetic field (HMFs; <5 μT) exposure has focused on healthy model organisms, leaving their therapeutic potential unexplored.
We investigated the effects of HMF exposure in a neurodegenerative disease model. The Pink1 loss-of-function model recapitulates key features of early-onset Parkinson's disease, including mitochondrial dysfunction, locomotor impairment, dopaminergic neuron degeneration, and reduced lifespan. A benchtop shielding apparatus was used to generate a uniform internal field of 5 nT, to effectively remove Earth's geomagnetic field (GMF; 25-60 μT). Wild-type (WT) and Pink1 knockout D. melanogaster were exposed to HMF and assessed for survival, locomotor performance, mitochondrial respirometry and reactive oxygen species production.
HMF exposure increased lifespan in Pink1⁻ D. melanogaster by 20%, with a paradoxical reduction in climbing ability. WT D. melanogaster had decreased lifespan and improved locomotor performance under HMF. Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre quantum diamond sensors, were used to detect elevated superoxide levels following HMF exposure. High-resolution respirometry showed increased mitochondrial complex II activity under HMF conditions. In conclusion, hypomagnetic fields modulate mitochondrial physiology and reactive oxygen species production in D. melanogaster. This highlights the potential of HMF exposure as a novel, non-invasive approach for modulating mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease.
Link: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206424
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