Although magnetism undoubtedly influences life on Earth, the science behind biological magnetic sensing is largely a mystery, and it has proved challenging, especially in the life sciences, to harness the interactions of magnetic fields (MFs) with matter to achieve specific ends. Using the well-established radical pair (RP) mechanism, we here demonstrate a bottom-up strategy for the exploitation of MF effects in living cells by translating knowledge from studies of RP reactions performed in vitro. We found an unprecedented MF-dependence of the reactivity of singlet oxygen (1O2) towards electron-rich substrates (S) such as anthracene, lipids, and iodide, in which [S•+ O2•−] RPs are formed as basis for MFs influencing molecular redox events in biological systems. The close similarity of the observed MF effects on the biologically relevant process of lipid peroxidation in solution, in membrane mimics, and in living cells shows that MFs can reliably be used to manipulate 1O2-induced cytotoxicity and cell apoptosis-related protein expression. These findings led to a ‘proof-of-concept’ study on MF-assisted photodynamic therapy in vivo, highlighting the potential of MFs as a non-invasive tool for controlling cellular events.

中文翻译：

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单线态氧反应性的磁操纵：从试管到活细胞

尽管磁性无疑影响着地球上的生命，但生物磁传感背后的科学在很大程度上还是一个谜，事实证明，利用磁场 (MF) 与物质的相互作用来实现特定目的具有挑战性，尤其是在生命科学领域。利用完善的自由基对 (RP) 机制，我们在此展示了一种自下而上的策略，通过转化体外进行的 RP 反应研究的知识，在活细胞中利用 MF 效应。我们发现单线态氧 (1O2) 对蒽、脂质和碘化物等富电子底物 (S) 的反应性具有前所未有的 MF 依赖性，其中形成 [S•+ O2•−] RP 作为 MF 的基础影响生物系统中的分子氧化还原事件。观察到的 MF 对溶液、膜模拟物和活细胞中脂质过氧化的生物学相关过程的影响非常相似，这表明 MF 可以可靠地用于操纵 1O2 诱导的细胞毒性和细胞凋亡相关蛋白的表达。这些发现引发了关于 MF 辅助光动力疗法的体内“概念验证”研究，突显了 MF 作为控制细胞事件的非侵入性工具的潜力。