The availability of sensitive techniques for the evaluation of the DNA damage in human lymphocytes is a crucial point in order to assess the role of chronic exposure to ELF fields in the onset of cancer, in particular leukemia. Over the years, researchers at IREA have developed classical and molecular cytogenetics techniques for the evaluation of chromosomal damage (micronucleus test) and direct DNA damage (comet assay) in human lymphocytes from whole blood or isolated from buffy coat.

Image analysis system for comet assay cell samples