posted to: biomagnetics, magnotherapy, bio-EMF

I have found some references to NASA's study of LED radiation on plant
growth. LED's emit semi-monochromatic, semi-polarized light, similar
to lasers and laser diodes. Not all of the work has been published
yet, as the projects are still in progress.

Scott Hill

re: NASA's experiments on LED radiation on plant growth, wound healing
(these results were collated from several NASA online databases)
Scott_Hill@...
webposted 24.09.2001

Light Emitting Diodes Aid in Wound Healing
(read full article at:
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/975450257.html)

Keywords: Cancer in Children, Diabetes, Wound Healing, radiation burn,
light emitting diodes, diabetic ulcer
=

Powerful light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been shown to help heal =

wounds in laboratory animals and are now being tested on humans at =

the Medical College of Wisconsin. The LEDs were developed by the =

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to spur plant =

life in space.


Harry T. Whelan, MD, Professor of Neurology at the Medica =

College and Director of the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit at Froedtert =

Hospital, found that diabetic skin ulcers and other wounds in mice =

healed much faster when exposed to the special LEDs in the lab.

Laboratory research has shown that the LEDs also grow human muscle =

and skin cells up to five times faster than normal. The study is =

conducted at the College's MACC (Midwest Athletes Against =

Childhood Cancer) Fund Research Center.


"For most wounds, we do not need to interfere with nature's healing," =

Dr. Whelan said. "But this technology may be the answer for problem =

wounds that are slow to heal."


The Food and Drug Administration has approved a multi-year =

investigation of the LEDs as an experimental treatment by a team led
by
Dr. Whelan. The study, funded by NASA, will specifically examine the =

technology's effects on diabetic skin ulcers, serious burns and flesh =

wounds caused by radiation and chemotherapy treatments. The studies =

on patients are being done at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and =

Froedtert Hospital.

These results are taken from a search of several NASA online databases
---Scott

Seed-to-seed growth of superdwarf wheat and arabidopsis using red
light-emitting diodes
(LED's): A report on baseline tests conducted for NASA's proposed
Plant Research Unit (PRU),
NASA-TM-111678, Apr 01, 1996
Score: 1000 Date: Apr 01, 1996 Size: 2605

Effects of gravity and light on plant growth and performance in normal
and reduced gravity,
Jan 01, 1993
Score: 960 Date: Jan 01, 1993 Size: 3800

Physiological and genetic characterization of plant growth and
gravitropism in LED light
sources, Oct 01, 1994
Score: 886 Date: Oct 01, 1994 Size: 3877

1000 -1 Seed-to-seed growth of superdwarf wheat and arabidopsis using
red light-emitting
diodes (LED's): A report on baseline tests
conducted for NASA's proposed Plant Research Unit (PRU),
NASA-TM-111678, Apr 01, 1996

861 -1 Physiological and genetic characterization of plant growth and
gravitropism in LED
light sources, Oct 01, 1994

430 -1 Effects of gravity and light on plant growth and performance in
normal and reduced
gravity, Jan 01, 1993

73 -1 Light emitting diodes as a plant lighting source, Mar 01, 1994

201 -1 Evaluation of light emitting diode characteristics for a
space-based plant irradiation
source, Jan 01, 1992

So far, I have only found 3 articles published by the group at
Froedtert Hospital and
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Harry T. Whelan and Glenn A. Meyer
in the CAM/pubmed DB
---Scott

J Clin Laser Med Surg 2001 Feb;19(1):29-33
=


Biostimulatory windows in low-intensity laser activation: lasers,
scanners, and NASA's light-emitting diode array system.


Sommer AP, Pinheiro AL, Mester AR, Franke RP, Whelan HT.


Central Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of
Biomaterials, University of Ulm, Germany.


OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess and to formulate
physically an irreducible set of irradiation parameters that =

could be relevant in the achieving reproducible light-induced effects
in biological systems, both in vitro and in vivo.
BACKGROUND DATA: Light-tissue interaction studies focusing on the
evaluation of irradiation thresholds are basic for the extensively
growing applications for medical lasers and related light-emitting
systems. These thresholds are of central interest in the rejuvenation
of collagens, photorefractive keratectomy, and wound healing.
METHODS: There is ample evidence that the action of light in
biological systems depends at least on two threshold parameters: the
energy density and the intensity. Depending on the particular light
delivery system coupled to an irradiation source, the mean energy
density and the local intensity have to be determined separately using
adequate experimental methods. RESULTS: From the observations of
different research groups and our own observations, we =

conclude that the threshold parameters energy density and intensity
are biologically independent from each other.

CONCLUSIONS: This independence is of practical importance, at least
for the medical application of photobiological effects achieved at
low-energy density levels, accounting for the success and the failure
in most of the cold laser uses since Mester's pioneering work.

PMID: 11547815 [PubMed - in process]


Pediatr Neurosurg 1999 May;30(5):225-31
=


Preclinical evaluation of benzoporphyrin derivative combined with a
light-emitting diode array for photodynamic therapy of brain tumors.
(Photodynamic therapy has to do with injecting a dye into the tumor
tissues so that laser light is absorbed better--Scott)

Wis Med J 1996 Dec;95(12):852-9
=


Comment in: Wis Med J. 1996 Dec;95(12):851


Treatment of tumors of the brain.


Krouwer HG, Meyer GA.


Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.


Publication Types:
Review
Review, tutorial


PMID: 8993223 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Schmidt MH, Reichert KW 2nd, Ozker K, Meyer GA, Donohoe DL, Bajic DM,
Whelan NT, Whelan HT.


Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee,
WI 53226, USA.


OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the
second-generation photosensitizer benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD) and
a novel light source applicator based on light-emitting diode (LED)
technology for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of brain tumors.

METHODS: We used a canine model to investigate normal brain stem
toxicity. Twenty-one canines underwent posterior fossa =

craniectomies followed by PDT with BPD. These animals were compared to
light only and BPD control. In addition, we investigated =

the ability of BPD and LED to cause inhibition of cell growth in
canine glioma and human glioma cell lines, in vitro. The
biodistribution of BPD labeled with 111In-BPD in mice with
subcutaneous and intracerebral gliomas and canines with brain tumors
was studied.

RESULTS: The in vivo canine study resulted in a maximal tolerated dose
of 0.75 mg/kg of BPD and 100 J/cm(2) of LED light for =

normal brain tissue. The in vitro study demonstrated 50% growth
inhibition for canine and human glioma cell lines of 10 and 4 ng/ml,
respectively. The mucine study using 111In-BPD showed a tumor to
normal tissue ratio of 12:1 for intracerebral tumors and 3.3:1 for
subcutaneous tumors. Nuclear scans of canines with brain tumors showed
uptake into tumors to be maximal from 3 to 5 h.

CONCLUSION: Our study supports that BPD and LED light sources when
used at appropriate drug and light doses limit normal =

brain tissue toxicity at doses that can cause significant glioma cell
toxicity in vitro. In addition, there is higher BPD uptake in brain
tumors as compared to normal brain in a mouse glioma model. These
findings make BPD a potential new-generation photosensitizer
for the treatment of childhood posterior fossa tumors as well as other
malignant cerebral pathology.

PMID: 10461068 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Neurosurgery 1996 Mar;38(3):552-6; discussion 556-7
=

Light-emitting diodes as a light source for intraoperative
photodynamic therapy.

Schmidt MH, Bajic DM, Reichert KW 2nd, Martin TS, Meyer GA, Whelan HT.

Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee,
USA.


The development of more cost-effective light sources for photodynamic
therapy of brain tumors would be of benefit for both research =

and clinical applications. In this study, the use of light-emitting
diode arrays for photodynamic therapy of brain tumors with Photofrin
porfimer sodium was investigated. An inflatable balloon device with a
light-emitting diode (LED) tip was constructed. These LEDs are
based on the new semiconductor aluminum gallium arsenide. They can
emit broad-spectrum red light at high power levels with a peak
wavelength of 677 nm and a bandwidth of 25 nm. The balloon was
inflated with 0.1% intralipid, which served as a light-scattering
medium. Measurements of light flux at several points showed a high
degree of light dispersion. The spectral emission of this probe was
then compared with the absorption spectrum of Photofrin. This analysis
showed that the light absorbed by Photofrin with the use of the LED
source was 27.5% of that absorbed with the use of the monochromatic
630-nm light. Thus, to achieve an energy light dose
equivalent to that of a laser light source, the LED light output must
be increased by a factor of 3.63. This need for additional energy is
the difference between a 630- and 677-nm absorption of Photofrin.
Using the LED probe and of brain stem toxicity in canines was
conducted. LED and laser light showed the same signs of toxicity at
equivalent light energy and Photofrin doses. The maximal tolerated
dose of Photofrin was 1.6 mg/kg, using 100 J/cm2 of light energy
administered by laser or LED. This study concludes that LEDs are a
suitable light source for photodynamic therapy of brain tumors with
Photofrin. In addition, LEDs have the potential to be highly efficient
light sources for second-generation photosensitizers with absorption
wavelengths closer to the LED peak emission.


PMID: 8837808 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

--- In bioelectromagnetics@y..., "Estacion Prov. Pastos y forrajes"
<estacion@p...> wrote:
> Hello Scott Hill
>
> I have interested about stimulation of plant growth with laser and
> electromagnetic fields. Can you help me about this.
>
> Alejandro Carbonell
> Experimental Station of Pastures and Forages
> Sancti Spíritus. Cuba.
> estacion@p...