Light therapy is showing promise in everything from helping burns heal faster, to killing tumors, to directing antibodies to cancer targets.
A University of Buffalo study of older mice found that photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy slowed cardiovascular aging and could significantly delay the onset of diseases such as heart disease, stroke and hypertension. I was.
Nearly 20% of Americans over the age of 65 have been diagnosed with heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States.
“The idea was to see if midlife interventions could prevent further deterioration of the heart with age,” said Dr. said Praveen Arany, Associate Professor of Oral Biology. Aging Institute, about research.
Middle-aged mice (14 months old) responded well to PBM therapy with improved cardiac function and heart wall thickness. Mice also showed good gait symmetry on the treadmill, suggesting improved neuromuscular coordination.
“The thicker the muscle, the stiffer it becomes, and the less the heart pumps,” says Arany.
Mice were exposed to near-infrared (NIR) light from an overhead LED light source for only 2 minutes a day, 5 days a week. A series of mice genetically engineered to develop severe heart disease typically has a survival rate of 43%. Not only did the heart disease not progress after PBM treatment, but the survival rate was 100%. In addition to this, the 8-month trial saw him lose 3 months of learning due to pandemic restrictions.
Arany, who is also a dentist, became interested in phototherapy after seeing how it helped heal tissue, believing its potential far exceeded what he had previously known. increase.
“After a tooth is extracted, you have to wait for the wound to heal before proceeding with treatment,” said Arany, who started his career as a dentist. “I became interested in how it could improve and speed up healing.”
Phototherapy relies on specific wavelengths, intensities and exposure times. PBM is associated with the production of transforming growth factor-beta, which regulates stem cell activity, inflammation, and immune system function, and plays an important role in age-related health and disease.
The researchers hope to translate their findings into controlled trials in humans.
The study was published in a journal Lasers in surgery and medicine.
Source: University of Buffalo
