ArticleLasers in medical science2026
Photobiomodulation mitigates the inhibitory effects of pirfenidone on cancer-associated fibroblasts and their pro-tumorigenic properties: a cause for concern.
Article in Lasers in medical science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within the tumor microenvironment highly contribute to cancer progression and poor prognosis. Recent findings introduce pirfenidone, a medication for pulmonary fibrosis, as a promising repurposed candidate for inhibiting CAFs. Moreover, photobiomodulation (PBM), or low-level laser therapy, has surfaced as a potential modality against cancer; however, its impact on CAFs is not thoroughly comprehended. The present study scrutinized the effects of PBM, pirfenidone, and PBM+pirfenidone on CAFs, and their consequent impact on cancer cells using the CAF-conditioned media. After treating CAFs with PBM at wavelengths 660 and 980 nm with/without PFD and then culturing cancer cells in the prepared conditioned media, cell viability, gene expression, migration, and clonogenic potential were evaluated. Results indicated that PBM reduced the anti-fibrogenic effects of pirfenidone on CAFs and increased their viability. PBM compensated for inhibited migration-inducing effects of CAFs by pirfenidone on cancer cells and promoted their clonogenic potential. Gene expression studies uncovered modulation of EMT and stemness-related genes by PBM and pirfenidone. In conclusion, findings propose that PBM could maintain pro-tumorigenic effects of CAFs even following treatment with the anti-fibrotic agent pirfenidone; therefore, PBM should cautiously be used against cancer before further investigations expound the underlying mechanisms and optimize treatment protocols.
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