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REVIEW article

Front. Ophthalmol.
Sec. Retina
Volume 4 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fopht.2024.1388602
This article is part of the Research Topic Diagnostic and therapeutic applications of visible and near-infrared light for the retina View all 3 articles

Photobiomodulation Use in Ophthalmology - An Overview of Translational Research from Bench to Bedside

Provisionally accepted
Krisztina Valter Krisztina Valter 1,2Janis Eells Janis Eells 3Stephanie Tedford Stephanie Tedford 4*Clarkq Tedford Clarkq Tedford 4
  • 1 Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
  • 2 School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
  • 3 College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, United States
  • 4 LumiThera, Inc, Poulsbo, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Photobiomodulation (PBM) refers to the process by which specific wavelengths of light are absorbed by cellular photoacceptor molecules, resulting in the activation of signaling pathways that culminate in biological changes within the cell. PBM is the result of low-intensity light-induced reactions in the cell in contrast to thermal photoablation produced by high-intensity lasers. PBM has been effectively used in the clinic to enhance wound healing and mitigate pain and inflammation in musculoskeletal conditions, sports injury, and dental applications for many decades. In the past 20 years, experimental evidence has shown the benefit of PBM in increasing numbers of retinal and ophthalmic conditions. More recently, preclinical findings in ocular models have been translated to the clinic with promising results. This review discusses the preclinical and clinical evidence of the effects of PBM in ophthalmology and provides recommendations of the clinical use of PBM in the management of ocular conditions.

    Keywords: photobiomodulation, Ophthalmology, Retina, age-related macular degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy

    Received: 20 Feb 2024; Accepted: 04 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Valter, Eells, Tedford and Tedford. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Stephanie Tedford, LumiThera, Inc, Poulsbo, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.