Desmettre · Life (Basel, Switzerland) 2026 · narrative review · n=?

Photobiomodulation in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Framework and Translational Perspective.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review and mechanistic framework paper without systematic methodology or new human data.

PubMed 42514168 · doi:10.3390/life16071098 · record verified 2026-08-26

What was done

The authors conducted a targeted narrative review of experimental and clinical literature evaluating photobiomodulation (PBM), retinal mitochondrial function, and metabolism in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to develop a conceptual bioenergetic framework.

What was found

The abstract reports no quantitative clinical or experimental numbers. It outlines mechanisms by which PBM affects mitochondrial activity (including cytochrome c oxidase modulation, nitric oxide photodissociation, and redox signaling) and proposes a conceptual framework where clinical benefit requires dosing within a specific bioenergetic window when retinal mitochondrial dysfunction is still partially reversible.

Why it matters

The paper proposes a unifying bioenergetic model to help explain clinical outcome variability and guide translational research for early to intermediate AMD.

Limits

This is a narrative review presenting mechanistic theory and framework proposals without new clinical trial data. No search parameters, systematic study selection criteria, sample sizes, or quantitative outcome measures are reported in the abstract.

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