Effects of radiation from a radiofrequency identification (RFID) microchip on human cancer cells

Abstract

Purpose Radiofrequency identification (RFID) microchips are used to remotely identify objects, e.g. an animal in which a chip is implanted. A passive RFID microchip absorbs energy from an external source and emits a radiofrequency identification signal which is then decoded by a detector. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the radiofrequency energy emitted by a RFID microchip on human cancer cells.

Materials and methods Molt-4 leukemia, BT474 breast cancer, and HepG2 hepatic cancer cells were exposed in vitro to RFID microchip-emitted radiofrequency field for 1 h. Cells were counted before and after exposure. Effects of pretreatment with the spin-trap compound N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone or the iron-chelator deferoxamine were also investigated.

Results We found that the energy effectively killed/retarded the growth of the three different types of cancer cells, and the effect was blocked by the spin-trap compound or the iron-chelator, whereas an inactive microchip and energy from the external source had no significant effect on the cells.

Conclusions Data of the present study suggest that radiofrequency field from the microchip affects cancer cells via the Fenton Reaction. Implantation of RFID microchips in tumors may provide a new method for cancer treatment.

Keywords:

• Radiofrequency identification microchip
• cancer cells
• Fenton reaction

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Funding information

This research was supported by funding from the Dean of College of Engineering and the Office of Vice-Provost for Research of the University of Washington, and the Washington Research Foundation Fellowship and the Mary Gates Research Scholarship awarded to H.W.C.