Cellular Study: Vielight Neuro Pro’s NIR Light Shifts Metabolism in Cancer Cells
In this study by the University of Calgary’s biophysics lab, scientists tested two kinds of light on cancer cells grown in dishes. One was near-infrared (NIR) pulsed light from the Vielight Neuro Pro 2; the other was hyperpolarized light (HPL) from a Bioptron device.
In this lab setting, NIR light often pushed cells to use their mitochondria (the cell’s “power plants”) more and glycolysis (sugar-burning) less, and longer exposures sometimes reduced cell viability. HPL caused early shape changes in cells, and the impact on growth depended on how long the light was used.
This is not a cancer treatment—it’s a first step to understand how patterned light might influence cell metabolism.
Key take-aways:
PBM enhanced viability in normal cell models at 810 nm wavelength pulsing at 10 Hz.
In parallel, we observed that under the right conditions PBM reduced viability or slowed proliferation of cancer-cell models (or modulated malignant behaviour) — underscoring that PBM’s effects are not indiscriminate.
This dual-effect opens opportunities for more refined, mechanism-based light-therapy research and bridges the gap between basic cell biology and translational applications.
Why this matters:
Our broader research program is about mapping how physical stimuli (light, electromagnetic, mechanical) interact with cell biology across contexts (healthy versus disease, regeneration versus dysregulation). This paper exemplifies that breadth. By showing that PBM can both bolster healthy cells and mitigate undesirable behavior in cancer cells (under defined conditions), we add evidence that such modalities have nuanced, targeted potential — not simply “boost everything”.
What’s next:
We are expanding into multiple cell types, refining dose/wavelength/timing parameters, and exploring translational bridges (e.g., adjunct light therapy + conventional treatments). I’m excited about collaborators who are interested in exploring PBM in tissue repair, oncology adjuncts, or bioelectric/photonic modulation of cell fate.
Many thanks to co-authors, Jack Tuszynsky’s team at University of Alberta and Politecnica di Turin, Italy.
#photobiomodulation #cancer
