Low-Intensity Visible and Near-Infrared Light-Induced Cell Signaling Pathways in the Skin: A Comprehensive Review.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative literature review synthesizing cellular and molecular mechanisms of photobiomodulation.
PubMed 37074309 · doi:10.1089/photob.2022.0127
What was done
The authors conducted a narrative literature search across Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar to synthesize current knowledge on cellular signaling pathways, chromophores, primary and secondary effectors, key light parameters, and clinical indications for low-intensity visible and near-infrared skin photobiomodulation.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data, effect sizes, or quantitative outcomes. It provides a qualitative description indicating that photon absorption by skin chromophores triggers non-thermal signaling pathways through primary and secondary effectors, leading to enhanced repair and survival in stressed or hypoxic cells.
Why it matters
Synthesizing the molecular and cellular mechanisms of photobiomodulation helps ground empirical clinical observations in mechanistic biology, guiding parameter optimization for dermatologic applications.
Limits
This is a narrative review without systematic screening methods, quality appraisal, or quantitative meta-analysis. The abstract provides no study counts, search date boundaries, or clinical efficacy statistics, focusing predominantly on theoretical and mechanistic pathways.