Mihai Ciubotaru

Title : Radiofrequency EMF irradiation effects on pre-B lymphocytes undergoing somatic recombination

Abstract:

DNA double stranded breaks (DSBs) occur in lymphocytes exposed to intense electromagnetic fields (EMFs). We study developing pre-B lymphocytes following V(D)J recombination at their Immunoglobulin light chain loci (IgL). Recombination physiologically induces DNA DSBs, and we tested if low doses of EMF irradiation affect this developmental stage. Recombining pre-B cells, were exposed for 48 hours to low intensity EMFs (maximal radiative power density flux S of 9.5 mW/cm² and electric field intensity 3 V/m) from waves of frequencies ranging from 720 to 1224 MHz. Irradiated pre-B cells show decreased levels of recombination, reduction which is dependent upon the power dose and most remarkably upon the frequency of the applied EMF. Although 50% recombination reduction cannot be obtained even for an S of 9.5 mW/cm² in cells irradiated at 720 MHz, such an effect is reached in cells exposed to only 0.45 mW/cm² power with 950 and 1000 MHz waves. A maximal four-fold recombination reduction was measured in cells exposed to1 GHz waves with S from 0.2 to 4.5 mW/cm² displaying normal levels of gH2AX phosphorylated histone. Our findings show that developing B cells exposure to low intensity EMFs can affect the levels of production and diversity of their antibodies repertoire.

Audience take away:

• Our data address for the first time how the wireless communication EMF fields impact the repertoires of differentiating B lymphocytes.
• We will address in our presentation whether irradiated B cells can elicit an unaltered antibody response in response to antigen challenge, or novel infections.  
• The methodology used in our study could be extended to investigate the effect on humoral immunity of other exogenous agents(chemicals or biological agents thought to be  innocuous), hence it can be of immense benefit for clinicians.

Biography:

Dr. Ciubotaru studied Medicine at the School of Pharmacy and Medicine “UMF-Carol Davila” Bucharest  Romania and graduated as MS in 1992. He then joined in 1997 as a graduate student the research group of Prof. Gerald Koudelka at the University of Buffalo Biological Sciences USA. He received his PhD degree in 2000 at the same institution. After 3 years postdoctoral fellowship supervised by Dr. David G. Schatz at the Immunobiology Department Yale School of Medicine USA he obtained first an Associate Research Scientist position at the same department where he worked until 2012. In 2013 Dr. Ciubotaru returned to Romania as a Principal Investigator Senior Research Scientist at Colentina Clinical Hospital, Department of Immunology, Internal Medicine, Bucharest, Romania, where he currently works leading a team of six trainees (graduate students and postdocs) in Immunobiology. He has published more than 15 research articles in SCI(E) journals, and some of his developed work makes the object of 3 patents.