Technically Speaking

A cellular regenerator not to be confused with a dermal regenerator is now fact instead of fiction. Researchers have found that the typical wavelengths of the common LED has properties that are beneficial to the growth of cellular tissue.

LEDs provide light for plants grown on the Space Station as part of commercial experiments sponsored by industry. Researchers discovered the diodes also had many promising medical applications, prompting NASA to fund this research as well, through its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

Biologists have found that cells exposed to near-infrared light from LEDs, which is energy just outside the visible range, grow 150 to 200 percent faster than cells not stimulated by such light. The light arrays increase energy inside cells that speed up the healing process.

In the first stage of the study, use of the LEDs resulted in significant relief to pediatric bone-marrow transplant patients suffering the ravages of oral mucositis, a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, according to Dr. David Margolis, an associate professor of pediatrics at the Medical College, working with Dr. Whelan on the study at Children’s Hospital.

The device is manufactured my Quantum Devices of Barneveld, Wis. and they are currently in clinical trials. Clinical trails should last about three years and log some 80 patients. So far the results are promising.

Source: NASA.gov

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 13th, 2003 at 10:52 pm and is filed under Medicine/Genetics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.