ArticleAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)2023
Near-Infrared Light Exposure Triggers ROS to Downregulate Inflammatory Cytokines Induced by SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in Human Cell Culture.
Article in Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impacts of specific acupuncture techniques combined with infrared radiation therapy on the symptom improvement and quality of life of patients with allergic rhinitis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Are we trapped on Earth: space and accelerated ageing.NPJ microgravity · 2025Review
- Effect of photobiomodulation therapy on surfactant production increase in human lung epithelial alveolar cells.Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology · 2025Article
- Pathogenic mechanisms of cardiovascular damage in COVID-19.Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.) · 2024Review
- Cellular ROS and Antioxidants: Physiological and Pathological Role.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Hypersensitivity to man-made electromagnetic fields (EHS) correlates with immune responsivity to oxidative stress: a case report.Communicative & integrative biology · 2024Article
- Mitochondria in COVID-19: from cellular and molecular perspective.Frontiers in physiology · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The leading cause of mortality from SARS-CoV-2 is an exaggerated host immune response, triggering cytokine storms, multiple organ failure and death. Current drug- and vaccine-based therapies are of limited efficacy against novel viral variants. Infrared therapy is a non-invasive and safe method that has proven effective against inflammatory conditions for over 100 years. However, its mechanism of action is poorly understood and has not received widespread acceptance. We herein investigate whether near-infrared (NIR) light exposure in human primary alveolar and macrophage cells could downregulate inflammatory cytokines triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and via what underlying mechanism. Our results showed a dramatic reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines within days of NIR light treatment, while anti-inflammatory cytokines were upregulated. Mechanistically, NIR light stimulated mitochondrial metabolism, induced transient bursts in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activated antioxidant gene transcription. These, in turn, downregulated ROS and inflammatory cytokines. A causal relationship was shown between the induction of cellular ROS by NIR light exposure and the downregulation of inflammatory cytokines triggered by SARS-CoV-2 S. If confirmed by clinical trials, this method would provide an immediate defense against novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and other inflammatory infectious diseases.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.