Visible Red Light Emitting Diode Photobiomodulation for Skin Fibrosis: Key Molecular Pathways
Andrew Mamalis1, Daniel Siegel2, Jared Jagdeo3
1Department of Dermatology, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, CA USA ; Dermatology Service, Sacramento VA Medical Center, Mather, CA USA.
Abstract:
Skin fibrosis, also known as skin scarring, is an important global health problem that affects an estimated 100 million persons per year worldwide. Current therapies are associated with significant side effects and even with combination therapy, progression, and recurrence is common. Our goal is to review the available published data available on light-emitting diode-generated (LED) red light phototherapy for treatment of skin fibrosis. A search of the published literature from 1 January 2000 to present on the effects of visible red light on skin fibrosis, and related pathways was performed in January 2016. A search of PubMed and EMBASE was completed using specific keywords and MeSH terms. "Fibrosis" OR "skin fibrosis" OR "collagen" was combined with ("light emitting diode," "LED," "laser," or "red light"). The articles that were original research studies investigating the use of visible red light to treat skin fibrosis or related pathways were selected for inclusion. Our systematic search returned a total of 1376 articles. Duplicate articles were removed resulting in 1189 unique articles, and 133 non-English articles were excluded. From these articles, we identified six articles related to LED effects on skin fibrosis and dermal fibroblasts. We augmented our discussion with additional in vitro data on related pathways. LED phototherapy is an emerging therapeutic modality for treatment of skin fibrosis. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that visible LED light, especially in the red spectrum, is capable of modulating key cellular characteristic associated with skin fibrosis. We anticipate that as the understanding of LED-RL's biochemical mechanisms and clinical effects continue to advance, additional therapeutic targets in related pathways may emerge. We believe that the use of LED-RL, in combination with existing and new therapies, has the potential to alter the current treatment paradigm of skin fibrosis. There is a current lack of clinical trials investigating the efficacy of LED-RL to treat skin fibrosis. Randomized clinical trials are needed to demonstrate visible red light's clinical efficacy on different types of skin fibrosis.
Insights
Light-emitting diode (LED) red light phototherapy shows promise for treating skin fibrosis. This emerging therapy modulates cellular characteristics of skin scarring, potentially improving current treatment approaches.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology and Biomedical Optics
- Investigating the therapeutic potential of phototherapy in skin conditions.
Background:
- Skin fibrosis (scarring) affects millions globally, with current treatments often causing side effects and recurrence.
- Existing therapies for skin fibrosis have limitations in efficacy and management of progression.
Approach:
- Systematic literature review of studies on visible red light and light-emitting diode (LED) phototherapy for skin fibrosis from 2000 to present.
- Searched PubMed and EMBASE databases using keywords related to fibrosis and LED/red light therapy.
- Identified six studies on LED effects on skin fibrosis and dermal fibroblasts, supplemented with in vitro data.
Key Points:
- Visible LED red light demonstrates potential in modulating cellular characteristics crucial to skin fibrosis.
- LED phototherapy is an emerging therapeutic option for managing skin fibrosis.
- Further research into biochemical mechanisms and clinical effects of LED red light is ongoing.
Conclusions:
- LED phototherapy is a promising modality for skin fibrosis treatment.
- Visible LED red light can influence cellular pathways involved in skin fibrosis.
- Randomized clinical trials are essential to establish the efficacy of LED red light therapy for various types of skin fibrosis.
