Biomagnetism as a Factor in Red Blood Cells Deformation

The manuscript reported in vitro experiments that demonstrated the role of pulsed biomagnetic fields in the interaction between red blood cells (RBCs) and human hair, suggesting a novel factor in RBC deformation. Both RBCs and hair follicles were noted to express magnetic properties, with RBCs exhibiting diamagnetic and paramagnetic forces and hair follicles showing pulsed diamagnetic forces. The study proposed that this biomagnetic cross-talk, along with other factors like keratin biomagnetism and the hair shaft's hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, contributed to RBC deformation. The findings challenged the traditional view that teardrop-shaped RBCs in blood smears were solely due to mechanical artifacts, instead supporting the idea that biomagnetic forces could replicate these deformities, as observed in Optical Tweezers Trapping.