Abstract:
Resonance phenomenon consists of the oscillation at high amplitude of a material if it is forced mechanically, acoustically or electrically at some specific frequencies named natural resonance frequencies. In particular, some researchers have hypothesized that biological systems have natural resonant frequencies in the microwaves region so that an applied electromagnetic field (EMF) can interfere with their sophisticated electromagnetic circuits. This phenomenon can be applied to cancer treatment using electromagnetic radiations at some natural resonance frequency of cancer cells. Modern wireless technology uses the transmission of electromagnetic radiation in radiofrequency and microwave regions and produced a huge development in human activities. In this regard, there is a large literature on harmful effects of EMFs on living beings that can be explained assuming that the frequency of electromagnetic radiation impinging on biological systems is close to natural resonance frequencies of such systems. On the other hand, beneficial effects of resonant EMFs could occur by using electromagnetic radiation at natural frequencies of cancer cells in order to damage them. In particular, this technique could be applied in damaged areas that cannot be treated surgically and in order to not damaging nearby healthy cells. Nevertheless, the problem is which frequencies to choose among the many resonance frequencies in order to damage cancer cells. Indeed, human cells are complex systems that have a very large number of natural resonance frequencies. In our opinion, the flux of ions across cellular membranes can be a significant parameter, whose alteration can change cell viability. In fact, the flux of ions across cellular membrane channels have been demonstrated to have a fundamental role in cellular functions of cancer cells as they can regulate cancer’s initiation, progression and proliferation. In this regard, the displacement of α-helices in membranes channels of cancer cells caused by resonant frequencies of an EMF should alter the flux of ions across cellular membranes channels, damaging cancer cells. In contrast, normal cells would not be damaged, as their natural resonant frequencies should be different from those of cancer cells. Experimental results have already provided proof of the correctness of this theory. Indeed, previous studies in vitro showed that there is a correlation between proteins α-helix (represented by Amide vibration bands, observed by infrared spectroscopy techniques) and the frequency of applied EMF. In addition, exposure of neuronal-like cells to EMFs showed a direct proportionality between displacement of cell channels α-helix and EMF frequency. The result of these studies leads us to look further into the frequencies in which this effect is amplified, since an alteration of cellular membrane channels should induce a change in ions flux across channels and the resulting damage of unhealthy cells. Indeed, the rotation of α-helices in cellular membrane channels of cancer cells due to torque effect induced by an applied EMF should be amplified if the frequency of the applied EMF is close to a natural frequency of channels α-helix in that type of cells. Indeed, cellular membrane channels are formed by proteins, that is α-helices [20-22], so that exposure to EMF should induce the orientation of these α-helices along the direction of the applied EMF, causing the enlargement of the channel and inducing an increasing of ions flow across the channel, such as schematized in Figure 6 (A-B). Otherwise, a large amount of studies in literature has shown that even a minimum alteration of ions flux across cells membrane channels should cause significant cells damage. In conclusion, these results suggest to project the application of this methodology to the treatment of tumor cells, irradiating them by electromagnetic radiation at resonant frequencies of their cellular membrane channels α-helix, once those frequencies have been found by spectroscopic techniques. Also, neighboring healthy cells should not be significantly damaged because natural resonant frequencies of channels α-helix in healthy cells should be significantly different from natural resonant frequencies of channels α-helix in cancer cells. This could be a relevant vantage with respect traditional chemotherapy or other radiation therapy techniques.
