Photobiomodulation Therapy Promotes Expansion of Epithelial Colony Forming Units

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Objective This preliminary study examines the effects of low-dose light therapy, also called Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy, on epithelial colony forming units (eCFUs) in epithelial cells from skin and mucosa to assess their potential to contribute to tissue regeneration. Also, preliminary comparison of basic PBM parameters such as wavelengths, light sources, and dose were evaluated in promoting eCFUs. Background data Regenerative medicine is at the brink of exploiting the tremendous potential offered by advances in stem cell biology. The two distinct aspects for utilization of stem cells, either resident (endogenous) or transplanted (exogenous), rely on cells amenable to expansion and being directed toward mature, functional tissues. Despite major progress in fundamental understanding of stem cell pluripotency, there remain fundamental challenges in applying these insights into clinical practice. Methods PBM treatments with various devices, wavelengths, and doses were used on two epithelial cell lines and colony forming assays were performed. Results This study noted a dose-dependent effect of 810 nm laser on increasing eCFUs, either in terms of size or numbers. Comparisons of different wavelengths and light sources noted better efficacy of collimated and coherent lasers compared to LEDs and broad-band light. Conclusions PBM therapy promotes expansion of eCFUs that represent

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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