According to a recent SciTechDaily article, light therapy may be the key to speeding up the healing process of burns. A study conducted at the University at Buffalo demonstrated that a form of low-dose light therapy, which relieves pain and promotes healing and tissue regeneration, not only sped up burn recovery, but also reduced inflammation in mice. It did so by activating endogenous TGF-beta 1, a protein in charge of cell growth and division.
“Photobiomodulation therapy has been effectively used in supportive cancer care, age-related macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease,” says Arany. “A common feature among these ailments is the central role of inflammation. This work provides evidence for the ability of photobiomodulation-activated TGF-beta 1 in mitigating the inflammation, while promoting tissue regeneration utilizing an elegant, transgenic burn wound model.”
