Influence of High-Intensity Terahertz Radiation on the Differentiation of Human Neural Progenitor Cells

We present the results of studying the impact of high-intensity terahertz pulses on the differentiation of induced human neural progenitor cells (drNPCs). The differentiation was estimated using the immunocytochemical analysis, i.e., the marker of the undifferentiated cells (SOX2) and the markers of the neuronal (β-III-tubulin and MAP2b) and glial (GFAP) phenotype. The cell exposure was performed by terahertz pulses with an intensity of 21 GW/cm2 and an electric field of 2.8 MV/cm for 30 min. As a result of exposure, the phenotype of induced neural progenitor cells did not differ from that of unexposed cells and the appearance of mature neurons or glial cells was not detected. The ability of the terahertz radiation to cause effects in neural cell cultures apparently requires further studies for higher exposure intensity or duration.