Research brief
Red and near-infrared light: mitochondrial research
What photobiomodulation studies investigate about red and near-infrared light, mitochondria and cellular energy, with important limits on interpretation.
What researchers are investigating
Photobiomodulation research commonly studies red and near-infrared light at specified wavelengths and doses. A leading hypothesis is that light may interact with cellular chromophores, including cytochrome c oxidase in mitochondria, and may influence downstream redox, nitric-oxide or energy-related signalling.
What has been measured
The evidence includes laboratory and animal studies of mitochondrial markers, plus a 2023 study in older adults that used 31P magnetic-resonance spectroscopy after a 670 nm transcranial protocol and reported a change in an ATP-synthesis flux measure. These findings describe the studied protocols; they do not establish an effect for other devices, body areas or outcomes.
Why the mechanism is still being tested
A critical review notes that a reliable, generalisable light-induced mechanism at cytochrome c oxidase has not been demonstrated. This is why wavelength alone is not enough to predict an effect: irradiance, total energy, pulse pattern, treatment area, tissue depth, timing and the biological model all matter.
How this applies to devices
Longer wavelength does not automatically mean better or safer. Red and near-infrared devices are not interchangeable, and a research result from a laser, a transcranial protocol or an animal model should not be treated as proof of a cosmetic or health outcome from a consumer device. These sources provide context only and do not establish that a Hyala product diagnoses, treats, cures, prevents or relieves any condition.
Sources
- Hamblin MR. Mechanisms and Mitochondrial Redox Signaling in Photobiomodulation. Photochemistry and Photobiology. 2018;94(2):199-212. Review. DOI: 10.1111/php.12864.
- Quirk BJ, Whelan HT. What Lies at the Heart of Photobiomodulation: Light, Cytochrome C Oxidase, and Nitric Oxide-Review of the Evidence. Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery. 2020;38(9):527-530. Review. DOI: 10.1089/photob.2020.4905.
- Fear EJ, Torkelsen FH, Zamboni E, et al. Use of 31P magnetisation transfer magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure ATP changes after 670 nm transcranial photobiomodulation in older adults. Aging Cell. 2023;22(11):e14005. DOI: 10.1111/acel.14005.
- Cardoso FDS, Barrett DW, Wade Z, et al. Photobiomodulation of Cytochrome c Oxidase by Chronic Transcranial Laser in Young and Aged Brains. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2022;16:818005. Animal study. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.818005.