Irradiation in the red/near-infrared spectrum (R/NIR, 630 – 1000 nm) has been recently used as a potential therapeutic strategy to treat different diseases and injuries such as Mitochondrial Disease, Degenerative Eye Diseases, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke, Metabolic Diseases (Eells et al., 2003), wound healing, central nervous system injury, and for restless leg syndrome (Fitzgerald et al., 2013).
Dr. Janis Eells presented a study that was accomplished by her and her students under the title “UNBLINDED BY THE LIGHT: Photobiomodulation for the Treatment of Retinal Degenerative Disease”. The purpose of this study is to determine whether photobiomodulation with near-infrared is able to treat retinal degeneration diseases. Thus, they hypothesis that the exposure of a rodent model of methanol toxicity to photobiomodulation (PBM) with near-infrared (NIR) could play a potential role in protecting the retina against the toxic actions of the methanol- derived formic acid. What is known about the topic is that if a small amount of methanol is injected it will rapidly cause permanent blindness. The methanol is metabolized to a mitochondrial toxin, and it is formic acid that can inhibit Cytochrome c Oxidase. This formic acid is able to interrupt mitochondrial function and increases oxidative stress in the retina and optic nerve which eventually leads to blindness. In order to fully test their hypothesis, the rats were randomly divided into four treatment groups: untreated control, LED-treated control, methanol-intoxicated, and LED-treated, methanol-intoxicated rats. they used electroretinogram as a sensitive indicator of retinal function, the experimental rats under methanol intoxication were exposed to three ...
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...rons and enhanced vision in animal model with reduced risk of systemic side-effects and the potential for long term efficacy.
In the end, regardless of the scientific methods that could be used to treat different diseases and more specifically retinal degeneration, many studies should be conducted determine the potential clinical application of photobiomodulation with NIR for treatment of different injuries and disorders.
Works Cited
Eells, J., et al. “Therapeutic photobiomodulation for methanol-induced retinal toxicity.” PNAS 100.6 (2003): 3439–3444.
Fitzgerald, M., et al. “Red/near-infrared irradiation therapy for treatment of central nervous system injuries and disorders.” Rev. Neurosci. 24.2: (2013): 205-26.
Huang, Y., Enzmann, V., and Iidstad, S."Stem cell-based therapeutic applications in retinal degenerative diseases." Stem Cell Rev. 7.2 (2011): 434-445.
For the past few centuries western medicine has made significant improvements in medical technologies; however, as the pendulum swings we are obliged to remember that eastern medicine has been prevalent for numerous centuries. Eastern medicine includes many medical avenues that are slowly becoming more popularized in the western world. For example, I have noticed therapies such as acupuncture becoming much more accepted that in previous decades. Moreover, in the past year I have learned a great deal about the therapeutic effects of magnets, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) which is also known as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).
...ith photodynamic therapy. Neoplastic tissues would take up compounds of photosensitizing agents, and the interaction of light with the photosensitizing agent eventually leads to the production of cytotoxic free radicles[secret]. The advantages of this treatment is that multiple lesions could be treated even though that could take more than one treatment. However, the downside to this treatment is that it is limited only to neoplasms that are at superficial level. Patients might also acquire side effects such as having photosensitization for around 4-6 weeks, or causing tissues to undergo necrosis which sloughs off after some time.[secret] The latter effect would induce pain in patients.
2. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is also used by modifying the radiation beams by varying their intensity. This is a more specialized form of the 3D-CR treatment.
16. Wang, Yadong. "An Anti-angiogenic Reverse Thermal Gel as a Drug-Delivery System for Age-Related Wet Macular Degeneration." Macromolecular Bioscience: 464-469. Web. 1 May 2014.
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Stem cell research began in 1956 when Dr. E Donnall Thomas performed the first bone marrow transplant (“Adult stem cells are not more promising,” 2007). Since that time, research has evolved into obtaining cells from a variety of tissues. According to stem cell research professors, Ariff Bongso and Eng Hin Lee (2005), “Stem cells are unspecialized cells in the human body that are capable of becoming cells, each with new specialized functions” (p. 2). Stem cells are in various adult tissues, such as bone marrow, the liver, the epidermis layer of skin, the central nervous system, and eyes. They are also in other sources, such as fetuses, umbilical cords, placentas, embryos, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are cells from adult tissues that have been reprogrammed to pluripotency. Most stem cells offer multipotent cells, which are sparse...
The four major treatments of AVMs in the brain include resection, endovascular embolization, stereotactic radiosurgery, and multimodality (Ogilvy et al., 2001). Resection of the AVM is simply surgical removal of the lesion with the goal of total obliteration. Endovascular embolization utilizes a catheter to inject a glue-like substance to block the AVM (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011). According to Ogilvy et al. (2001), stereotactic radiosurgery is a type of focused radiation that destroys the AVM. Multi-modal treatment is a combination of two or more treatments, and the most common form of multi-treatment is embolization paired with either resection or radiosurgery (Ogilvy et al., 2001). Endovascular embolization can be used to reduce the size of the AVM and therefore make either resection or radiosurgery more effective in reducing hemorrhage risk (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011). The Spetzler-Martin scale is often used to determine relative risk an...
Up until the early 1960s, the people of that generation grew up believe that exposure to the sun was healthy and could be used as potential treatments for ailments like acne, for example. The doctors of the early 20th century even promoted the use of the sun’s ultraviolet rays (UV rays) as a treatment for certain strains of tuberculosis. Little did they know the long run consequences of prolonged exposure to the now-labeled ...
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