DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.192359.1 ISSN: 2046-1402

Electrical and Electromagnetic Field Exposure as a Candidate Antimalarial Strategy: A Systematic Review of Preclinical and Early Clinical Evidence

Musab Abduljalil Mohamed
Show PDF Cite
Background Partial artemisinin resistance is spreading in African Plasmodium falciparum malaria, renewing interest in non-drug antimalarial strategies. Electrical and electromagnetic fields have been proposed to damage parasites via haemozoin biophysics and calcium signalling, but this evidence has never been systematically appraised. Methods We searched for studies exposing Plasmodium, infected blood, infected animals or malaria patients to electrical, magnetic or electromagnetic fields. The search was limited to PubMed/PubMed Central and open web sources (single AI-assisted reviewer, September 2026); Scopus, Embase and Web of Science were not searched (disclosed limitation). Risk of bias was assessed with a seven-domain preclinical tool and ROBINS-I. Because of incompatible outcomes and limited data, we used synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM). Results Thirteen studies (≈2000–2025) from seven groups were included (six in vitro, one ex vivo, five rodent, one human). Ten reported net inhibition under at least one condition. Pulsed 2.45 GHz microwaves non-thermally killed >90% of cultured parasites via a calcium-dependent pathway; this was reproduced with a portable device by the same network. A rotating magnetic field suppressed growth at 5–10 Hz but increased it at 1 Hz or under static conditions. In the only head-to-head comparison, artemisinin-based combination therapy cleared more parasites (88.3%) than any magnetic-field dose. Risk of bias was high in seven studies and of some concern in six. Certainty was very low throughout. Conclusions Electrical and electromagnetic fields can inhibit malaria parasites under laboratory conditions; microwave exposure is the best characterised. No field approach has matched standard therapy. The evidence remains preclinical, limited to a few research groups, and is hypothesis-generating rather than a candidate treatment. A minimum reporting standard is proposed.

More from our Archive