WEB-049Original text reviewed
100 GHz: mitochondrial membranes and cellular respiration
The reported finding
Mitochondrial ultrastructure and supercomplex organisation changed. Basal/ATP-linked respiration declined; individual respiratory-complex activities increased. Maximal/reserve respiratory capacity was unchanged.
Reading it carefully
Cultured cancer-derived cells and isolated organelles, outside physiological-temperature conditions. Infrared thermometry and heat-shock markers do not exclude every local thermal contribution. No organism-level disease or 6G exposure was tested.
Inside the study
Technology connection
Higher-frequency laboratory biology relevant to investigating proposed future bands; not a test of a final 6G standard.
Publication type
Original journal research
Exposure conditions
Continuous 100 GHz (0.1 THz), approximately 33 mW/cm² for 30 min; cells at about 20°C, isolated mitochondria in an ice bath.
Design & controls
SH-SY5Y human neuroblast-like cells and isolated mitochondria; microscopy, enzyme assays, respirometry and lipid simulations.
Statistics
See the original results; effect sizes were not independently recalculated.
Related research & shared cohorts
Related publication records: WEB-050.
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
See original disclosure; funding details were not established in this check.
Conflicts of interest
See original disclosure; no independently verified conflict assessment.
Original publication
Mengyao Lei; Tingrong Zhang; Xiaoyun Lu; Xiaofei Zhao; Hongguang Wang; Jiangang Long; Zhuoyang Lu. Membrane-mediated modulation of mitochondrial physiology by terahertz waves. Biomedical optics express. 2024. doi:10.1364/boe.528706.