by Prof Dr Antonio Šarolić (FESB, University of Split, Croatia), COST EMF-MED Action Chair, and Dr Mirjana Moser (Switzerland), COST EMF-MED Action Vice-Chair

This proposal is submitted on behalf of the network formed around the COST Action EMF-MED "European network for innovative uses of EMFs in biomedical applications", involving 33 participating countries and more than 200 participants [1]. Started in 2014, to the best of our knowledge, it is the first wide, systematic and comprehensive research initiative in the world addressing the beneficial effects and applications of EMFs, presenting a paradigm shift in biomedical EMF research: from EMF research to innovative biomedical technology.

SUMMARY

Inspired by promising recent observations on useful biomedical interactions and applications of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in medicine, FET-Proactive scheme should support the initiatives aiming for breakthrough results, new discoveries and innovative biomedical technologies based on EMF. Research on biological effects of EMFs has traditionally focused on health risks. The research efforts should now focus on better understanding of underlying physical and biological interaction mechanisms, related to both cancer and non-cancer applications, filling the gaps in present state of knowledge. Ultimately, this should contribute to development and optimization of innovative EMF-based medical devices and procedures, which will be safer, more efficient and less invasive. Interdisciplinarity of the proposed topic and significance of the expected outcomes require concerted research efforts at the European level and beyond.

The big picture

The human body is intrinsically and essentially an electrical object, based on complex electrical functionalities. Possibilities for interactions between electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and the human body are numerous, ranging from ions and polarized molecules at the subcellular level to cellular electrical phenomena and tissue-level electrophysiology. However, not all known processes are fully understood, and more processes remain to be discovered. The vast range of possibilities for interactions between EMFs and the human body promises that currently unexplained or even unknown interaction mechanisms may be harnessed and employed in biomedical applications, for the benefit of human health. Potentially beneficial interactions are under investigation in various contexts, e.g.:

- EMF-based cancer treatment,

- EMF exposure/stimulation of excitable tissues and cells (peripheral nerves, CNS), modulating nerve signals to control organ functions, as a potentially powerful way to treat many diseases and conditions,

- EMF exposure/stimulation of non-excitable tissues for tissue healing, growth, or regeneration applications.

Such innovative EMF-based biomedical applications could give a significant boost to the current healthcare systems, by providing cost-effective therapeutic or diagnostic alternatives, revolutionizing the way we see medical treatment today. At the moment, a few scattered applications are being studied as medical devices, but there is still much room for systematic improvement and optimisation. The intensity and dedicated resources are presently inadequate in Europe, which produces lagging behind the USA. Just in the last few years, USA devised a more systematic approach by government agencies NIH [2] and DARPA [3], both programs starting in 2015, supporting a live scene of research groups and start-ups working on new applications of neural modulation and stimulation. However, the electromagnetic medicine is still in its pre-conditioning stage, so Europe has the opportunity for a wider, even more systematic approach, supporting the whole area of innovative uses of EMFs, not limited to nerve stimulation. Such technology development would facilitate the activities of new knowledge-intensive start-up SMEs to the profit of European economy. Hence, this FET-Proactive topic would be aimed both at European societal/economic needs, and at scientific/technological advance.

The work needed

The synergy of disciplines, required to fully understand and exploit the underlying phenomena of biological interactions with EMFs, will be achieved by bringing researchers from several disciplines (biomedicine, biology, physics, electrical engineering, computational life sciences, etc.) to work from different directions together under a single program. This will provide the strongest environment for intense in-depth research and development, "out-of-the-box" thinking, and ultimately will boost progress in understanding of potential biological effects.

To be able to find, investigate, and make use of certain beneficial effects of EMFs, a whole set of pre-conditions have to be met:

- the extensive knowledge in life sciences (medicine, biology, and biophysics),

- modern methodology in molecular biology, chemistry and physics research,

- engineering apparatus in electrical engineering and bioelectromagnetics (innovative applicators and protocols, measurement methods and instruments, computational electromagnetics and multiphysics simulations based on accurate physiological models).

The work and the associated breakthroughs could be divided in three topics:

Topic 1. EMF-based cancer interactions and related applications;

Topic 2. EMF-based non-cancer interactions and related applications;

Topic 3. EMF dosimetry - in silico tools, measurements, applicators and protocols.

The success of the future projects is based on the involvement of:

- researchers, engineers, and other experts in R&D sector of EMF-based biomedical technologies;

- health care institutions and medical practitioners, who apply the EMF-based medical devices in clinical settings;

- industry, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the field of biomedical technology, both new start-ups and established enterprises, aiming to improve their products;

- young researchers in the related fields.

Even more stakeholders would be interested in the results:

- government and administration bodies during legislative procedures, policy making or when making strategic decisions regarding EMF-related applications and issues;

- international organizations, bodies, agencies, societies, and other policy makers in need of scientific knowledge, or when considering scientific facts in the related fields;

- standardization bodies and technical committees when preparing relevant technical standards;

- ultimately and most important: the general public, receiving better health care based on innovative, efficient and less invasive EMF-based biomedical technologies.

The opportunity

Now is the time when the resources for the above pre-conditions and disciplines are getting adequate to approach this topic systematically. These activities could provide a wide and sound scientific base for design and development of new healthcare technologies for routine applications.

To illustrate the scientific potential and current state of knowledge, a selection of several important recent studies, are outlined here: cancer cell proliferation is inhibited when treated with non-thermal levels of EMFs of specific carrier and/or modulation frequency; cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy effects are enhanced by adjuvant thermal therapy using targeted EMF; cancer chemotherapy effect is enhanced by applying electric pulses for cell membrane electropermeabilization; electrical and electromagnetic peripheral nerve stimulation could be successfully used for treatment of various disorders as well as for pain management, electromagnetic stimulation could be used for tissue regeneration and wound healing; novel exposure systems are being devised for the study of EMF effects on cell cultures and on the central nervous system; novel realistic multiphysics computational in-silico models and simulation methods are being developed to better understand the biological processes and EMF interactions; procedures of transcranial electric and magnetic stimulation are being analyzed and optimized. In addition, novel EMF-based biomedical applications are being increasingly investigated, such as: minimally invasive microwave ablation therapy; magnetic drug targeting; biomedical telemetry based on wearable, implantable and ingestible antennas; non-invasive monitoring of vital signs; radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems in healthcare, etc.

With the adequate financial resources, the results of these studies could be the base for innovations leading to a whole new paradigm in medicine. Therefore, this is an ideal time to launch a FET-Proactive topic on electromagnetic medicine – EMF-MED.

References:

[1] COST Action BM1309: "European network for innovative uses of EMFs in biomedical applications (EMF-MED)", http://COST-EMF-MED.eu

[2] US National Institute of Health, SPARC program, http://commonfund.nih.gov/sparc/index

[3] US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Electrical Prescriptions (ElectRx) program, http://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2015-10-05