Discovery medicine
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Currently, light therapies are widely used in both human and veterinarian medicine. The application of light to clinical therapeutics includes: photodynamic therapy, used to kill cancer cells; UVA therapies, used to treat a variety of skin diseases; and photobiomodulation, used to promote cell growth and recovery from injury. Photobiomodu-lation uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) or low energy lasers, which emit light in the visible red to near infrared range. ⋯ And third, low intensity light enhances nitric oxide synthesis by cytochrome c oxidase without altering its ability to reduce oxygen. From these findings, we propose that cytochrome c oxidase functions in photobiomodulation by producing nitric oxide, a signaling molecule which can then function in both intra- and extracellular signaling pathways. We also propose that the effectiveness of photobiomodulation is under the control of tissue oxygen and nitrite levels.