Intensity-dependent Suppression of Calcium Signaling in Human Skin Tissue Models Induced by Intense THz Pulses

The biological effects of intense THz pulses on human skin tissue models are investigated by applying gene ontology and pathway perturbation analyses to measured global differential gene expression profiles. Biological processes and cellular structures that regulate epidermal differentiation are highly overrepresented by THz-affected genes, and several signaling pathways that regulate the development of human cancer are predicted to be dysregulated. In particular, the calcium signaling pathway is predicted to be suppressed by THz exposures, and this effect increases with THz intensity. Mechanisms for the predicted suppression are identified and discussed in the context of potential clinical considerations of intense THz pulses.