Biological Effects of Static Magnetic Fields

The book summarizes the emerging topic about the effects of SMF on biological samples ranging from single molecules, subcellular compartments, and cells to whole organisms. It also discusses the potential application of SMF in clinical treatment of cancer, pain, diabetes and other diseases.

With the development and growing popularity of modern appliances like MRI in hospitals, the potential impact of magnetic fields on human health is invoking increasing concerns. At the same time, SMF has been explored in the treatment of tumor and other diseases for decades. Nevertheless, there are still some reservations and uncertainties about these treatments, which are largely due to the differential biological effects reported in the literature. These experimental inconsistencies are mainly caused by variations such as different magnetic field types, intensities, treatment time, as well as biological samples examined.

The second edition added eight new chapters about new progress in this field including impacts of SMFs, magnetism of biomolecules, and potential of SMFs in the management of bone, pain, diabetes, and immune systems. This volume will help clarify some dilemmas in this field and encourage further investigations in order to achieve a better understanding of the biological effects of SMF, aiming for a rational application of SMF in clinical therapy in the near future. The book is useful for scientists, doctors, and students who are interested in magnetic fields and life sciences

Dr. Xin Zhang, the vice director of High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, graduated in 2001 from Peking University Health Science Center with a Bachelor of Medicine degree. She obtained her PhD degree in 2007 at Indiana University, Bloomington, under the direction of Prof. Claire Walczak. In 2008, she started postdoctoral research in Ulrike Eggert’s lab at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In 2012, she moved back to China as a principal investigator at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei. She has published 90 papers and 3 books and has edited 5 special issues. Her lab is mainly interested in cellular responses, molecular mechanisms, and potential biomedical applications of moderate to high static magnetic fields, as well as low-frequency magnetic fields.