Researchers at the National University of Singapore published a study on June 4, 2026, demonstrating that intermittent, low-intensity pulsed electromagnetic fields can completely eradicate breast cancer tumours in 75 per cent of tested pre-clinical models without chemotherapy by reprogramming corrupted immune cells.
Breast cancer remains a formidable global health challenge, with worldwide cases projected to climb from 2.3 million in 2023 to more than 3.5 million by 2050, and annual deaths potentially surging from 764,000 to nearly 1.4 million. Within Singapore, where breast cancer accounts for roughly 30 per cent of all female cancer diagnoses and touches one in 12 women over their lifetime according to the 2023 Singapore Cancer Registry Annual Report, clinicians face persistent hurdles such as drug resistance, treatment toxicities, and tumour heterogeneity. In response to these barriers, a team at the National University of Singapore has advanced a non-invasive physical therapy that targets the vulnerabilities of malignant cells using intermittent, low-intensity magnetic pulses.
The experimental approach relies on pulsed electromagnetic fields, or PEMFs, which deliver intermittent, low-intensity magnetic pulses to targeted regions of the body over a short period of time. Publishing their findings in the journal Smart Medicine, the team — led by Associate Professor Alfredo Franco-Obregón from the Department of Surgery at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the NUS Institute for Health Innovation and Technology — demonstrated that PEMF therapy completely eradicated tumours in 75 per cent of tested preclinical models after just four 30-minute sessions, operating entirely as a drug-free intervention.
Describing the underlying mechanism, Franco-Obregón explained that the magnetic waves operate by interacting with specific biological structures on the exterior of the cells.
“When they pass through cells, they interact with specialised microscopic gates on the cell surface called TRPC1 channels, which act as biological antennae for weak magnetic fields. Opening these gates triggers a small, controlled wave of calcium into the cell that activates the mitochondria, the cell’s energy furnace.”
Alfredo Franco-Obregón, Principal Investigator at the NUS Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, via The Straits Times
In healthy tissue, this cellular stimulation mimics a brisk workout that drives repair and boosts energy. However, malignant cells overexpress these calcium channel proteins to sustain rapid proliferation and swift spreading, creating an unstable internal environment. The researchers noted that this excess makes cancer cells uniquely vulnerable to calcium overload and mitochondrial overheating, transforming the magnetic waves into precision tools.
Reprogramming Tumour-Associated Macrophages to Attack Cancer
Beyond directly stressing the energy systems of cancer cells, the therapy alters the surrounding immune landscape. Solid tumours typically recruit and hijack nearby immune cells, bending them to protect the mass and accelerate metastasis. Prominent among these hijacked recruits are tumour-associated macrophages, or TAMs, which constitute a large fraction of cells within almost all solid tumours.
Macrophages generally fall into two categories: M1 pro-inflammatory cells that eliminate threats like bacteria, and M2 anti-inflammatory cells that handle tissue repair. Breast cancer cells routinely coerce TAMs into adopting the M2 state, effectively turning the body’s natural medics into protectors of the tumour. The NUS team discovered that brief exposure to magnetic pulses activates the TRPC1 channels on M2-like TAMs, shifting them into an active anti-tumour M1 state that hunts and destroys cancer cells.
“We have identified a molecular “switch”, the specific cell signalling pathway that allows us to reprogram TAMs. Once reprogrammed, these immune cells actively hunt and devour cancer cells, obliterating the tumour.”
Alfredo Franco-Obregón, Associate Professor at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, via Newswise
Clinical Trial Progress and Synergistic Chemotherapy Potential
Previous work demonstrated that short PEMF exposure enhances the cellular uptake of doxorubicin, a standard chemotherapy medication.
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