# WEB-016 — Selective stem-cell gene responses to higher-terahertz irradiation

Why this matters
Earlier terahertz experiments can reveal mechanisms worth following. This work belongs in that history, with its much higher frequencies made visible so readers can judge its relevance.

Id: WEB-016

Author: Alexandrov et al.

Full Authors: Boian S Alexandrov; Kim Ø Rasmussen; Alan R Bishop; Anny Usheva; Ludmil B Alexandrov; Shou Chong; Yossi Dagon; Layla G Booshehri; Charles H Mielke; M Lisa Phipps; Jennifer S Martinez; Hou-Tong Chen; George Rodriguez

Year: 2011

Title: Non-thermal effects of terahertz radiation on gene expression in mouse stem cells

Journal: Biomedical optics express

Citation: Boian S Alexandrov; Kim Ø Rasmussen; Alan R Bishop; Anny Usheva; Ludmil B Alexandrov; Shou Chong; Yossi Dagon; Layla G Booshehri; Charles H Mielke; M Lisa Phipps; Jennifer S Martinez; Hou-Tong Chen; George Rodriguez. Non-thermal effects of terahertz radiation on gene expression in mouse stem cells. Biomedical optics express. 2011. doi:10.1364/boe.2.002679.

Doi: 10.1364/boe.2.002679

Pmid: 21991556

Topic: Stem-cell transcriptional responses; Higher-terahertz mechanisms

Verification Group: Original text reviewed

Record Role: Original text reviewed

Featured: False

Exposure: Broadband pulses centred near 10 THz, about 1 mW/cm²; 2/9 h protocols. Comparison CW source: 2.52 THz, about 3 mW/cm². Temperature monitored.

Design: Mouse mesenchymal stem-cell cultures; qPCR of selected differentiation and stress-response genes; non-irradiated controls.

Finding: Prolonged broadband exposure altered selected adipogenic/metabolic genes without broad heat-shock-gene activation.

Statistics: See reported finding and original tables; effect sizes not independently recalculated.

Boundary: Small replicate set; related Los Alamos publications share a research lineage. 2.52/10 THz are well above the 90–300 GHz research track; mechanistic context, not direct 6G evidence.

Protection Question: Which exposure conditions and biological models reproduce this response, and what would establish its relevance to health?

Access: Original methods/results sections reviewed; no independent raw-data or supplement audit.

Locator: Original results/methods sections

Notice: Linked notice fields in retrieved Europe PMC/PubMed records checked 21 October 2026; no correction or retraction surfaced there. Publisher-history and forward-citation screening are not exhaustive.

Funding: Funding statement not extracted in this source check; see the original publication.

Conflicts: Disclosure statement not extracted in this source check; see the original publication.

Source Url: https://doi.org/10.1364/boe.2.002679

Retrieval Links: https://doi.org/10.1364/boe.2.002679 | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21991556/ | https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3184876/

Verification Date: 2026-10-21

Discovery Id: EML-6G-003

Technology Tracks: terahertz

Technology Connection: Higher-terahertz mechanistic context at 2.52/approximately 10 THz, outside the 90–300 GHz research band; not direct 6G evidence.

Publication Type: Original journal research

Study Setting: Cells / isolated tissue

Browse Categories: cells