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Light Promotes Regeneration and Functional Recovery and Alters the Immune Response After Spinal Cord Injury

Kimberly R. Byrnes, PhD,¹ Ronald W. Waynant, PhD,²Ilko K. Ilev, PhD,² Xingjia Wu, BS,¹ Lauren Barna, BS,¹ Kimberly Smith,¹ Reed Heckert, BS,¹ Heather Gerst, BS,¹ and Juanita J. Anders, PhD ¹

1 Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814
2 Center for Devices and Radiological Health, ElectroOptics Branch, Food and Drug Administration, HFZ-134, Rockville, Maryland 20857

Background and Objectives: Photobiomodulation (PBM) has been proposed as a potential therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI). We aimed to demonstrate that 810 nm light can penetrate deep into the body and promote neuronal regeneration and functional recovery.

Study Design/Materials and Methods: Adult rats underwent a T9 dorsal hemisection, followed by treatment with an 810 nm, 150mWdiode laser (dosage¼ 1,589 J/cm²). Axonal regeneration and functional recovery were assessed using single and double label tract tracing and various locomotor tasks. The immune response within the spinal cord was also assessed.

Results: PBM, with 6% power penetration to the spinal cord depth, significantly increased axonal number and distance of regrowth (P<0.001). PBM also returned aspects of function to baseline levels and significantly suppressed immune cell activation and cytokine/chemokine expression.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that light, delivered transcutaneously, improves recovery after injury and suggests that light will be a useful treatment for human SCI. _ 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 9999:1–15 (2005)

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