Red

light

therapy

and

stem

cells

When talking about stem cells, we come as close to magic as possible within biology. Of course, it is only magical in a figurative sense, but it certainly inspires hope for the future when you hear that stem cells can become any cells in the body? Just think of all the diseases that could be alleviated or even cured. Body parts that have been lost or damaged could be replaced without problems with rejection, which is common in transplants. Those who talk about eternal life often mention stem cells in the same breath, and many attribute rejuvenating properties to stem cells.
Stem cells are cells found in all multicellular organisms but were discovered relatively late in medical history. In 1908, the concept was mentioned by the Russian researcher Alexander Maksimov at a congress in Berlin, but it took more than fifty years before research really got underway. In the 1960s, for example, it was discovered that bone marrow in mice could renew itself, and it was understood that something significant was on the track, and the 1990s was the decade when stem cell research really took off. I trained as a nutritionist during the early 1990s and really remember how mythic stem cells were portrayed in various contexts, even the strictly scientific ones. Today, research has come very far, and interestingly, factors have been identified that can positively affect the stem cells in our bodies. Photobiomodulation (PBM), of which RLT (Red Light Therapy) is one type, has been shown to activate our own stem cells, which could explain many of the healing properties of RLT.

Stem cells – how it works

There are two fundamental properties that stem cells possess. One is that they can undergo an infinite number of cell divisions while keeping the daughter cells undifferentiated. The consequence is that we can get more stem cells if the body decides to, and this can be a very important factor when it comes to health and aging.
The second unique feature of stem cells is that they can mature into one or several different cell types. Stem cells can be divided into four groups depending on what they can give rise to. Totipotent stem cells can form any cell type and belong to the very earliest stem cells in an embryo. They transition to become pluripotent stem cells that can give rise to all cells except the placenta. Since they are very general and not specialized, these are primarily sought after in research. In the adult body, there are multipotent stem cells that form closely related cells, e.g., blood cells, as well as unipotent stem cells that can only form one type of cell. It is the multipotent and unipotent stem cells that are involved when research is conducted on, for example, RLT's effect on stem cells. The natural function of stem cells is to maintain and repair tissues and organs, and if one can accelerate that process, it is theoretically possible to restore damage caused by aging and/or diseases.

The effect of red light on stem cells

Much research has been done on stem cells and quite a bit specifically on how they react to RLT. It turns out that they start to divide when exposed to light with the right wavelengths (1). Both red and near-infrared light work, and it can be described as the stem cells being activated and starting to do their job when illuminated. The stem cells experience an increase in nitric oxide, ATP (the cells' main energy currency), and cAMP, and all of this stimulates cell division. Probably much of the healing effects from RLT are caused by this stem cell activation, but it is still difficult to assess how large a part it is. However, it is known that the stem cell effect is highly present and is used, among other things, in advanced wound healing (2). Animal studies have also shown that treatment for osteoporosis can be made more effective, precisely with the help of stem cells (3). However, it is one thing to do test tube studies and animal experiments. The question everyone wants an answer to is whether RLT treatments can make any difference for the stem cells that actually exist in the body, and the answer is yes, they can. A pilot study showed a significant increase in stem cells with regular treatment of the shinbone in test subjects (4). These stem cells will then be transported through the bloodstream to places in the body where old damaged cells need to be replaced. This is regenerative healing at its best, and the user will get a real rejuvenating effect with more intact and well-functioning tissues (5). For example, increased formation of joint cartilage has been observed with the help of activated stem cells, and this gives great hope for all those affected by osteoarthritis (6).

1. Khatereh Khorsandi 1, Reza Hosseinzadeh 2, Heidi Abrahamse 3, Reza Fekrazad 4 5 Biological Responses of Stem Cells to Photobiomodulation Therapy. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther. 2020;15(5):400-413. doi: 10.2174/1574888X15666200204123722.
2. Stem Cell Res Ther. Enhancing therapeutic efficacy of human adipose-derived stem cells by modulating photoreceptor expression for advanced wound healing. Sang Ho Lee 1, Yu-Jin Kim 1, Yeong Hwan Kim 1, Han Young Kim 2, Suk Ho Bhang 3. 2022 May 26;13(1):215. doi: 10.1186/s13287-022-02892-2.
3. Mehrdad Asgari 1 2, Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar 1, Rouhallah Gazor 2, Tayyebali Salmani 3, Armin Khosravipour 1, Yaser Mahmoudi 4, Farzad Baniasadi 5, Michael R Hamblin 6 7, Heidi Abrahamse 6, Sufan Chien 8 9, Mohammad Bayat 1 8 9. Photobiomodulation and Stem Cell on Repair of Osteoporotic Bones. Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. 2022 Apr;40(4):261-272. doi: 10.1089/photob.2021.0127.
4. Amir Oron 1, Shai Efrati 2, Keren Doenyas-Barak 2, Hana Tuby 3, Lidya Maltz 3, Uri Oron 3
   Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. Photobiomodulation Therapy to Autologous Bone Marrow in Humans Significantly Increases the Concentration of Circulating Stem Cells and Macrophages: A Pilot Study. 2022 Mar;40(3):178-182. doi: 10.1089/photob.2021.0123. Epub 2022 Feb 21.
5. Thobekile S Leyane 1, Sandy W Jere 1, Nicolette N Houreld 1. Cellular Signalling and Photobiomodulation in Chronic Wound Repair. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Oct 18;22(20):11223. doi: 10.3390/ijms222011223.
6. C Schneider 1, P Dungel 2, E Priglinger 1, M Danzer 3, B Schädl 4, S Nürnberger 5. The impact of photobiomodulation on the chondrogenic potential of adipose-derived stromal/stem cells. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2021 Aug;221:112243. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2021.112243. Epub 2021 Jun 18.

Author: Fredrik Paulún

The studies and research presented here are conducted by independent researchers and institutes. Nutrilight does not fund these studies and has no connection to their execution. These studies generally concern photobiomodulation and are not specifically related to Nutrilight's products.