Photobiomodulation therapy in diabetic wound healing

Chronic wounds in diabetics present a significant healthcare burden due to the complexity of the underlying pathophysiological responses. Several novel modalities are being actively explored to aid diabetic wound management, including biological and biophysical agents. Among them, the use of low-dose biophotonics treatments termed Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy has been noted to be effective at improving acute and chronic wound healing. The use of this noninvasive, nonionizing source of low-dose light provides an attractive clinical modality to promote wound healing. There has been significant mechanistic insights in the past decade on the precise molecular pathways mediating its therapeutic efficacy that include mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase, photosensitive cell membrane receptors and transport channels and extracellular activation of latent TGF-β1. This review focuses on the signal transduction pathways involved in PBM-induced diabetic wounds to examine putative therapeutic implications.