Photobiomodulation 2014
1Laboratory of Laser Sports Medicine, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
2IMMAG-Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30904, USA
3Privatpraxis für Hochdosierte Low-Level-Lasertherapie, 94072 Bad Füssing, Germany
Photobiomodulation 2014
Description
Photobiomodulation is a developing biomedical practice in which a low level/intensity/power laser or monochromatic light is utilized to modulate biological functions without irreversible damage. It has been widely used to reduce pain and inflammation, accelerate wound healing and hair growth, prevent cell death and tissue damage, and improve blood circulation since the invention of lasers in the 1960s.
Photobiomodulation remains controversial in mainstream medicine. Despite many laboratory experiments and clinical trials, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of photobiomodulation continue to be elusive. A main reason is that the initial physiological state of the treatment object is critical for the treatment response. For example, as Karu (1998) has pointed out, the cellular response to low power laser irradiation is weak or absent when the overall redox potential of a cell is optimal or near to optimal for the particular growth conditions and stronger when the redox potential of the target cell is initially shifted to a more reduced state. In addition, recent studies have shown that there has been the complexity of choosing from a large number of illumination parameters, such as wavelength and treatment dosage (power density and irradiation time). Many negative reports are confusing because they do not include the dose response or pay attention to the initial state. Even positive results contain conflicting data. Thus, future studies need to be carried out carefully regarding these factors.
In spite of these misleading and confusing publications, new and exciting findings are just beginning. In this special edition, we invite authors to present original research articles, as well as review articles, that study the mechanisms of photobiomodulation and its applications. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Homeostasis and photobiomodulation
- Medium and cellular photobiomodulation
- Mitochondria and photobiomodulation
- Signal transduction and photobiomodulation
- Low intensity laser irradiation or monochromatic light
- Moderate intensity laser irradiation or monochromatic light
- Therapeutic photobiomodulation
- Wound healing
- Laser acupuncture
Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal’s Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/ijp/pbm14/ according to the following timetable: