WEB-001Original text reviewed

Cell-signalling changes under a 5G-modulated 3.5 GHz signal

Joushomme et al. · 2023 · Scientific reports

The reported finding

Selected lower-SAR fibroblast conditions reduced basal HSF1 signal; continuous exposure slightly reduced arsenic-triggered PML SUMOylation. Other signalling results varied across cell type and condition.

Reading it carefully

Mixed, non-monotonic results and many comparisons. Authors found no conclusive overall molecular effect; the selected responses do not demonstrate injury. Correct first author: Joushomme, not Pooam.

Inside the study

Technology connection

Actual 5G-modulated laboratory signal, with mixed exploratory molecular responses; not demonstrated harm.

Publication type

Original journal research

Exposure conditions

5G-modulated 3.5 GHz; SAR 0.25, 1 or 4 W/kg; 24 h continuously or 5 min on/10 min off; temperature compensated around 37°C.

Design & controls

Human fibroblast and keratinocyte cultures; sham comparisons; BRET signalling assays, with and without chemical stressors.

Statistics

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

Related research & shared cohorts

Related 2025 co-exposure follow-up: DOI 10.1002/bem.70026. No marked network/ROS effect at 1/4 W/kg; small RAS/PML variations were inconsistent. Different protocol, not an exact replication.

The protection question raised

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

Source verification

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

Where to find the result

Original results/methods sections

Editorial notices

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 The research leading to these results received funding from the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) under grant agreement EST-19 RF-18 (the 5G-SAMU project), and from the New Aquitaine regional council under grant agreement AAPR2020A- 2019-8140010 (The PHYSTRIG project).

Conflicts of interest

Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests.

Original publication

Alexandre Joushomme; Rosa Orlacchio; Lorenza Patrignoni; Anne Canovi; Yann Loïck Chappe; Florence Poulletier De Gannes; Annabelle Hurtier; André Garenne; Isabelle Lagroye; François Moisan; Muriel Cario; Philippe Lévêque; Delia Arnaud-Cormos; Yann Percherancier. Effects of 5G-modulated 3.5 GHz radiofrequency field exposures on HSF1, RAS, ERK, and PML activation in live fibroblasts and keratinocytes cells. Scientific reports. 2023. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-35397-w.

Plain-text record