Brief Retrospect on the Use of Photobiomodulation (PBM) Therapy for Augmented Bone Regeneration (ABR)

Abstract

As technology advances at a rapid rate, innovations in regenerative medicine will eventually include the use of energy-based therapeutics, such as low intensity-pulsed ultrasound stimulation (LIPUs), pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation (PMFs), and low-level laser/light therapy (LLLt) or photobiomodulation therapy (PBMt). Among these treatments, LLLt/PBMt attracted significant attention by the turn of the century, as evidenced by the numerous publications compared to LIPUs and PMFs, particularly for augmented bone regeneration (ABR). This is a testament of how the maturation of technology and scientific knowledge leads to latent compounded applications, even when the value of a technique is reliant on empirical data. This article reviews some of the notable investigations using LLLt/PBMt for bone regeneration published in the past decade, focusing on how this type of therapy has been utilized together with the existing regenerative medicine landscape.

Application of photobiomodulation therapy in the recovery of a fracture model in different countries: a concise review

“…Hence, it has been developed and applied in various forms according to procedures and surgical methods in various medical fields such as dermatology, neurosurgery, gastroenterology, and plastic surgery. Especially, in the field of orthopedic surgery, LLLT, which is usually referred to as PBM therapy [23], has been applied as an adjunct procedure in that makes use of biomaterials, drugs, grafts, and scaffolds for bone regeneration [4].…”

“…Delivered photon energy is absorbed by cytochrome c oxidase which is the last electron transportation chain that mediates electron transfer from cytochrome c to molecular oxygenation, resulting elevation of ATP and ROS concentration [26][27][28]. These increased mitochondrial activities cause interplay with the nucleus of the cell which translates to modifying the gene expression related to dense tissue formation and ossification [4,27,29].…”

“…However, bone can be injured in a variety of situations and it can result in bone defects such as trauma, infection, tumors, and even autoimmune diseases [3]. As bone is the main supporting structure that influences the stability of almost all surrounding soft tissues, it is important that bone heals accordingly based on its proper form and associated function [4].…”

Electrospun Porous Biobased Polymer Mats for Biomedical Applications

“…Some of the recent approaches turned to combinations of cell-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) with biobased polymers to produce electrospun scaffolds that mimic the architecture, structure, and additionally composition of ECM (Fu et al 2018;Carvalho et al 2019;Junka and Yu 2020;Padalhin et al 2021). This novel design strategy for engineering artificial bone implants resulted in an improvement in bone regeneration capacity (Junka and Yu 2020;Padalhin et al 2021). This strategy also provides a better mimicry of the bone ECM composition and structure that may bring advantages in future bone tissue engineering designs to fabricate clinically relevant implants.…”

NIR-Reflective and Hydrophobic Bio-Inspired Nano-Holed Configurations on Titanium Alloy

“…Near-infrared (NIR) radiation (700–1300 nm) exhibits a higher tissue penetration depth because of its minimum refraction and attenuation by endogenous biomolecules and chromophores. Therefore, its use as a light source in phototherapies has attracted significant attention among the medical community. − Till date, there is a plethora of published articles and reviews that have mainly summarized the developments of NIR-light responsive materials and their potential clinical skills. , Regarding to bone diseases, modern studies have revealed that NIR light-assisted phototherapies are likely to induce precise and less invasive solutions not only for bone tumors but also for implant infections, osteochondral inflammations, and even to induce tissue regeneration. − Among the materials used as bone substitutes, titanium and its alloys are currently the most widely used materials in orthopedic applications due to their excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. On the other hand, titanium oxide has excellent photocatalytic properties, which make it suitable for photodynamic and photothermal therapies.…”