NUS researchers use magnetic pulses to turn cancer-promoting immune cells into cancer fighters
The Phase II clinical trial will test PEMF’s ability to shrink tumours and enhance chemotherapy in more patients.
Scientists from the National University of Singapore have discovered that intermittently applying low-intensity magnetic pulses can convert immune cells that typically promote cancer growth into immune cells that actively target and destroy cancer cells. This non-invasive therapy, called pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs), was found to eradicate tumors in 75% of pre-clinical models after just four 30-minute sessions.
PEMFs work by passing gentle, low-energy magnetic waves through the body, interacting with specialized microscopic gates called TRPC1 channels on cell surfaces. This triggers a controlled wave of calcium into the cell, activating the mitochondria, the cell’s energy furnace. In healthy tissue, this acts like a workout, boosting energy production and promoting healing.
In cancer cells, the excessive stimulation overloads the system, making PEMFs a precise tool to either heat up or cool down cells depending on their resting temperature.
The research builds on previous work showing that PEMFs enhance the uptake of chemotherapy drugs like doxorubicin by breast cancer cells. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Singapore, accounting for around 30% of all female cancer diagnoses. The treatment faces challenges such as drug resistance, toxicities, and tumour heterogeneity.
Using PEMFs, the researchers targeted a calcium channel protein that breast cancers overexpress to fuel rapid proliferation. This vulnerability makes cancer cells uniquely susceptible to calcium overload and mitochondrial overheating. By inducing acute calcium and metabolic stress, PEMFs enhance the uptake of standard chemotherapy drugs, reducing dosages and side effects.
Additionally, the magnetic pulses reprogram the immune cells that promote cancer growth to consume breast cancer cells instead, restoring the immune system’s ability to detect and attack cancer.
The team has already completed Phase I safety trials in breast cancer patients and is preparing for Phase II clinical trials to evaluate the therapy's effectiveness in shrinking tumors and enhancing chemotherapy. If successful, larger multi-centre trials could follow for regulatory approval. While PEMFs represent an exciting, non-invasive frontier in precision oncology, they are an investigational therapy that should complement, not replace, proven medical care.
The researchers are actively seeking clinical trial sites, oncology collaborators, and funding partners to scale this therapy towards widespread patient access.
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