A new research paper was published in Volume 16 of Oncotarget on October 13, 2025, titled “Treatment of glioblastoma with tumour-specific amplitude-modulated radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.”

The study, led by Hugo Jimenez from Wayne State University School of Medicine, Karmanos Cancer Institute, introduces a novel treatment approach for glioblastoma, an aggressive and often treatment-resistant brain cancer.

The findings open a new potential path for patients who currently have limited therapeutic options.

The approach uses a device developed by TheraBionic that delivers extremely low levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, tuned to frequencies associated with glioblastoma.

In laboratory experiments, this therapy significantly slowed the growth of multiple glioblastoma cell lines.

It was especially effective against tumour stem cells, which are known to resist standard treatments and drive cancer reappearance.

Researchers also found that the treatment’s effects depend on a calcium channel in tumour cells known as Cav3.2 (CACNA1H).

When this channel was blocked, the therapy lost its effectiveness, highlighting the channel’s essential role in how tumour cells respond to the signal.

The therapy also disrupted the process of cell division by interfering with the mitotic spindle, a structure critical for cell replication.

This disruption was associated with changes in the expression of genes that regulate cell division, particularly those involved in the “Mitotic Roles of Polo-Like Kinase” pathway.

These effects were specific to tumour-targeted frequencies, as non-matching signals had no measurable impact.

The study also includes data from two patients with difficult-to-treat brain tumours who received the therapy through compassionate use.

One patient with recurrent glioblastoma showed signs of clinical and radiographic improvement after one month of treatment.

Another patient with oligodendroglioma tolerated the therapy well and had stable disease during follow-up imaging.

Neither patient experienced serious side effects, further supporting the safety of the therapy.

“There was evidence of clinical and radiological benefit in a 38-year-old patient with recurrent GB and evidence of safety and feasibility in a 47-year-old patient with oligodendroglioma.”

This is the first study to demonstrate that tumour-specific radiofrequency therapy can suppress both tumour growth and cancer stem cells in glioblastoma.

Similar results had previously been observed in liver and breast cancers.

These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting a new class of systemic, non-toxic cancer therapies.

Further clinical trials will be crucial to confirm these results and fully assess the potential of this approach for treating brain cancer.

Source: Impact Journals LLC