Fluorescent light energy in wound healing: when is a photon something more?

Fluorescent Light Energy (FLE) is a unique form of photobiomodulation that stimulates healing, reduces inflammation, and alleviates pain. The system works by exciting a chromophore in a topical substrate, which emits FLE with a broad spectral range (~400-700 nm) that is delivered to the target tissue below. Results from in vivo and in vitro studies have shown FLE modulates inflammation via down-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α and stimulates mitochondria biogenesis¹. A recent study showed FLE-stimulated cells responded more potently compared to cells treated with light from an LED light source (“Mimicking Lamp”) designed to generate the same emission spectra and power intensity profile as FLE². FLE-treated human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) experienced up-regulated collagen production, while a minor and nonsignificant effect was observed for the Mimicking Lamp-treated HDFs. These results suggest that photons generated by FLE either penetrate tissue differently or are absorbed differently compared to photons from a LED light source. Photonic properties of FLE that could impact tissue penetration or absorption may include polarity or coherency, leading to different cellular responses. To investigate if light polarity may influence cellular responses to FLE stimulation, the present study applied linear and circular-polarizing filters to investigate the influence of FLE’s polarity on immune parameters. The data suggest that FLE polarity contributes to its impact on biological systems. Furthermore, the immunemodulatory impact of FLE was investgated in a pilot study on a human ex vivo skin model suggesting that central myeloid immune surface markes are modulated by FLE.