TEMPERATURE-MEDIATED BIOELECTROMAGNETIC CONTROL OF HUMAN GLIOBLASTOMA PROLIFERATION

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive primary brain tumors in adults, characterized by cellular heterogeneity, resistance to therapy and poor clinical outcomes, accompanied with neurocognitive deficits. This has prompted growing interest in non-invasive strategies that intervene at the level of fundamental biophysical processes, such as electrical signalling and energy regulation, that are intrinsic to both neural function and tumor behavior. Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and temperature are both known to influence neuronal excitability, ion channel dynamics, and metabolic state, yet their combined effects in the context of brain cancer remain largely unexplored. Here, we present a pilot in-vitro study examining the interaction between mild hypothermia and a physiologically patterned, low-intensity electromagnetic field (Thomas-EMF) in the U87-MG human glioblastoma cell line. Thomas-EMF has previously been reported to reduce malignant cell proliferation via calcium-dependent mechanisms, while hypothermia independently suppresses GBM proliferation and migration. Cells were exposed to two daily treatment durations (1 h or 8 h) across four temperature conditions (37°C, 35°C, 32°C, and 30°C). Preliminary results reveal temperature- and EMF-exposure-duration-dependent trends in cell proliferation, indicating that thermal state modulates cellular responsiveness to patterned EMF stimulation. Ongoing analyses are assessing calcium signalling and metabolic state using molecular, redox, and glycolytic readouts to clarify underlying mechanisms. These findings establish the feasibility of combining electromagnetic and thermal modulation as a multimodal biophysical intervention in glioblastoma and support further investigation into how physical parameters that shape neural tissue function may be leveraged to influence tumor behavior in neuro-oncology.