Popular Science on Photobiological Regulation

I. Basic Knowledge of Solar Energy

“For 30 years, I have treated countless patients with modern medicine, but to be honest, my medical skills have not improved, nor have they affected the health of my patients. However, phototherapy is special in many ways. I can say that it is a treatment of the future, capable of controlling the fundamental aspects of disease without side effects.”

— Dr. Len Saputo, MD (Clinical trial of phototherapy at John Muir Medical Center LLLT near the San Francisco Bay Area)

"If light energy of a specific wavelength spectrum is used, cells will undergo biochemical pathways, producing large amounts of ATP from mitochondria, leading to active cell regeneration..." During this process, cells produce nitric oxide, enhancing the elasticity of blood vessels, and pathogen treatment becomes more active due to reactive oxygen species.

- Dr. Harry Whelan, MD (Professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, American Cancer Society Neuro-Oncology (awarded in clinical trials of near-infrared dynamic light therapy for brain tumors/neurofibromas), NASA Phototherapy Support Fellow)

"Like plants, humans survive on light, water, and air. Most organisms can be considered photobiosomes, and the ultimate biological nutrient is light… Light is a form of electrical energy that fundamentally functions in our biological systems." Therefore, all diseases are influenced by light, water, and air. Thus, if these are well-controlled and cared for, healing can result.

— Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MD (Gabriel Cousens is a homeopathic physician, psychiatrist, family therapist, Ayurvedic physician, and Oriental medicine physician. He is also a world-leading diabetes researcher, ecological leader, spiritual mentor, and the founder and director of the Tree of Life Foundation and the Tree of Life Center, USA.)

1. Aging and Mitochondria

To this day, theories about aging have been linked to mitochondrial function in cells.

Photobiological regulation (PBM) can delay or reverse mitochondrial dysfunction.

As evidence, over 5,000 clinical trials worldwide support this. Specific wavelengths of light reduce errors in cellular regeneration, thereby increasing ATP and NO production, promoting circulation, increasing energy production, and restoring health.

2. Light is Life Itself
Sunlight governs the birth, aging, sickness, and death of all living things on Earth. On Earth, there are many wavelengths of light, ranging from invisible to visible (from violet to red). All these "lights" are vibrations of light, and life exists because of this light. All living things depend on this light (wavelength) for survival.

3. The Spectrum
From the solar spectrum, the human eye sees visible light (the seven colors of the rainbow). Beyond this, the human eye cannot see ultraviolet, infrared, X-rays, etc. Humans have been using various spectra of electromagnetic waves and applying them to various fields. However, the scope of electromagnetic wave use is extremely narrow. Here, we will discuss near-infrared and visible light, which are at the core of the therapeutic spectrum. In the past, direct exposure to sunlight was used for treatment. However, after the discovery of the side effects of ultraviolet light, infrared therapy machines using halogen lamps and water appeared in Germany 30 years ago.

However, the weak release of near-infrared light has negligible therapeutic effects, which is why it has been replaced by low-intensity phototherapy products. Recent technology involves LLLT (Low-Intensity Laser Therapy), a theory that primarily uses LEDs for treatment with low-energy light sources. The spectrum used in LEDs replaces near-infrared light (800nm–1060nm) and visible light (430nm–750nm). Each spectrum has very different therapeutic effects. Some spectra show no therapeutic effect, while others may even produce side effects, depending on the light intensity and duration of use.

4. Plant Photosynthesis Plant photosynthesis Plants grow through photosynthesis, which occurs in sunlight. Through this process, plants absorb water and nutrients from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air, releasing oxygen. From the absorbed nutrients, it produces chlorophyll, minerals, vitamins, and many other nutrients to sustain life. Animals undergo chemical processes. Humans have understood the body's circulatory processes and the importance of light in disease since ancient times.

In 2002, NASA proposed a study on LED lights (a cutting-edge research technology from the American Society for Neuro-Oncology), initiated by Dr. Harry Whelan. This project, funded by NASA and originating from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, focused on the use of LEDs for health reasons. The research demonstrated remarkably rapid recovery from severe burns, difficult-to-treat injuries, muscle and tendon sprains, damaged nerves, and eye injuries.

According to a NASA press release in December 2000, powerful LEDs developed for industrial plant growth were being used to explore ways to overcome various diseases. The NASA release revealed that mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) protease absorbs light in certain wavelengths of the spectrum, resulting in increased ATP (adenosine triphosphate, an energy source driving organisms) production from the light-absorbing enzyme. In other words, life was found to depend on light. Animals, including humans, absorb light through their skin and light sources.

5. Understanding Photobiological Modulation (PBM) Cell regeneration requires energy production, and cells carry mitochondria, which are the cell's power source.

Photobiological modulation (PBM) is the term that explains how a specific wavelength of light source can generate ATP in the mitochondria. Photobiological modulation refers to the auxiliary processes that, through specific wavelengths of light, promote cell proliferation and blood circulation. Since 2016, "photobiological modulation" (PBM) has appeared as a keyword for future therapeutic approaches in the MeSH Academic Information Classification of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

PLT (PBM-based multicolor LED therapy) is characterized by promoting capillary recovery, where cellular mitochondria produce nitric oxide through light absorption. This leads to the efficient transport of oxygen and nutrients, resulting in cell regeneration. In short, maintaining healthy cells is the beginning of the fight against disease.

Mitochondria are the core of the cell. When nutrients and oxygen from the large intestine and lungs reach the mitochondria through blood vessels, they use enzymes such as cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a vital energy source. Recently, physiologists discovered that certain wavelengths of near-infrared light irradiating CCO enzymes significantly activate ATP synthesis.

*Cytochrome c oxidase (COO): An enzyme in mitochondria that plays a crucial role in ATP production. This was discovered by Dr. Otto Warburg, a two-time Nobel laureate.

6. Photobiology
Photobiology studies the effects of specific ionizing radiation on biological systems.

The biological effects of light vary depending on the wavelength range of the radiation. Radiation is absorbed by DNA, proteins, or certain drug molecules used in the skin. These molecules are converted into substances that trigger chemical/biochemical reactions within cells.

(Specific ionizing radiation is also called non-ionizing radiation, which refers to visible and near-infrared light.) The term "radiation" generally refers to ionizing radiation, which includes rays associated with alpha rays, such as ultraviolet light, alpha rays, beta rays, and gamma rays.

Photochemical reactions in biological systems induced by light are not new; vitamin D synthesis in the skin is one example.

When UV-B reaches the skin, the intensity of sunlight is only 10⁵ Mw/cm², but it converts 7-dehydrocholesterol (a common form of cholesterol) into vitamin D3.

7. Mechanisms
To date, many studies have concluded that low-energy visible light, such as red and near-infrared light, is absorbed by mitochondria, leading to more active activation of ATP synthesis used by cells. This process is followed by gene transcription and the production of balanced ROS, which induces cell repair and healing. A crucial part of this process involves using nitric oxide (NO) to puncture blocked neuronal chains, releasing the nitric oxide back into the system. Nitric oxide is a molecule that helps 60 trillion cells communicate via signal transport. Furthermore, it dilates blood vessels and promotes blood circulation.

8. Mechanisms and Pathways

• NO (Nitric Oxide)

• ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) → PKD (Gene) → IkB (Inhibitor κB) + NF-κB (Nuclear Factor κB) → NF-κB (Nuclear Factor or κB stimulates gene transcription)

• ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) → cAMP (Catabolite Activator Protein) → Jun/Fos (Oncogene Transcription Factor) → AP-1 (Activator Protein Transcription Stimulates Gene Transcription)

NO: (Nitric Oxide, •NO; Nitrogen oxide or nitric oxide) is a colorless gas and a compound formed with nitric oxide. Fundamentally, nitric oxide comprises a free radical, a chemical form with unpaired electrons (the dot represents the unpaired electron in •NO). Nitric oxide is also a heteronuclear diatomic molecule and a key molecule leading modern atomic bonding theory. It is formed from the cellular amino acid arginine. As a signaling molecule, it participates in various physiological processes, such as vasodilation and signal transduction. (Source: Encyclopedia of Molecular and Cellular Biology)

ROS: Common reactive oxygen species include hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), superoxide ions (O₂⁻), singlet oxygen (¹O₂), and hydroxyl radicals (•OH). ROS typically act as disinfectants by attacking pathogens. However, for some reason, an imbalance (excess) of ROS can lead to attacks on normal cells by hydroxyl radicals. Increased ROS under specific spectral light sources is known to have the ability to perform gene transcription as a protective response to oxidative stress, such as the activation of two signaling pathways during pathogen invasion. Essentially, ROS generated by light irradiation acts as an antioxidant for this reason.

Appropriate Wavelength Spectrum and Light Intensity

For target cells or chromophores, accurate wavelength (the first law of photobiology) and wavelength intensity (the second law of photobiology) are crucial. If neither is accurate, optimal absorbance cannot be achieved, and the Grotthus-Draper absorbance of the first law of photobiology will not occur without absorbance. In addition, sufficient photon intensity (i.e., spectral irradiance) or density output (W/cm²) is required. Otherwise, it may be insufficient to obtain the desired results. However, if the intensity is too high, photon energy may be converted into excessive heat from the target tissue, which is also undesirable. Secondly, the dose and energy density need to be sufficient (J/cm²), but too low an output or too long an irradiation time to obtain the ideal energy density is undesirable. This is because the second law of photobiology, namely the Bunsen-Roscoe law, does not apply to low output densities.