EMF Evidence Library
Research library/Cells & mechanisms/WEB-038
WEB-038Original text reviewed

27.5 GHz: early-life skin signalling and mast-cell responses

Palone et al. · 2026 · Scientific reports

The reported finding

Inflammation-related transcripts and mast-cell degranulation increased; some sensory transcripts and wild-type cutaneous glutamate decreased. No overt histological abnormality or growth impairment.

Reading it carefully

Single developmental time point; multiple exploratory endpoints and litter/chamber clustering warrant care. No demonstrated skin disease, persistent effect or satellite exposure.

Inside the study

Technology connection
27.5 GHz is relevant to 5G high-band research and overlaps a satellite uplink band. These are laboratory animal exposures, not a satellite-system experiment.
Publication type
Original journal research
Exposure conditions
27.5 GHz, 5G-generated signal; 6.67 or 20 W/m² during ON periods; 10 min ON/5 min OFF, 23 h/day from birth to day 21.
Design & controls
Ptch1-heterozygous and wild-type CD1 mice; sham chamber, skin histology, transcriptional assays, glutamate and mast-cell assessment.
Statistics
See the original results; effect sizes were not independently recalculated.
Related research & shared cohorts
SEAWave/ENEA programme; companion adult reproduction paper uses a different exposure cohort. Related publication records: WEB-039.
The protection question raised
Which exposure conditions reproduce this finding, and what would establish its relevance beyond the experimental model?
Source verification
Original methods/results and interpretation reviewed; raw data and supplements were not independently audited.
Where to find the result
Original methods and results
Editorial notices
Linked Europe PMC/PubMed notice fields checked 21 October 2026; no correction/retraction surfaced for this record. Publisher/citation screening is not exhaustive.
Funding
European Union Horizon Europe, SEAWave grant 101057622.
Conflicts of interest
Authors report no competing interests/conflicts; declaration checked, not independently audited.

Reviews to read alongside

Related syntheses and proposals in the separate review collection. These are topical reading links, not additional independent experiments.

Original publication

Francesca Palone; Emiliano Fratini; Flavia Novelli; Simona Leonardi; Ilaria De Stefano; Emanuela Pasquali; Mirella Tanori; Rosanna Pinto; Lucia Ardoino; Alessandro Zambotti; Francesca Camera; Marta Piscitelli; Caterina Merla; Simonetta Pazzaglia; Myles Capstick; Theodoros Samaras; Mariateresa Mancuso. Early-life exposure to 27.5 GHz 5G millimeter-wave radiation induces skin-related biological responses in mice. Scientific reports. 2026. doi:10.1038/s41598-026-57133-w.

Plain-text record