Photobiomodulation,Photomedicine,and Laser Surgery : A New Leap Forward Into the Light for the 21 st Century

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is now one of the hottest growing areas in biomedical science today. However, it has not always been so. What used to be known as “low-level laser therapy” was discovered over 50 years ago in 1967 by Endre Mester, working in Hungary. ¹ Largely due to pioneering work by Tiina Karu in Russia, ² the molecular and cellular mechanisms of PBM began to be unraveled. ³ For many years, laser therapy (as it was once called) was practiced by physicians, physical therapists, and veterinarians who operated somewhat “under the radar”. The majority of the medical community, frankly, did not believe that PBM was real, or that it could even possibly work. The situation was not helped by some companies who made unrealistic claims, spouted unscientific “claptrap”, and who marketed underpowered devices at exorbitant prices.

I believe that all this is about to change this year. How then has this “volte-face” come about? There are several contributing reasons. There have been (and will continue to be) major advances made in understanding the underlying mechanisms of PBM at the molecular and cellular levels. We are finally moving away from the concept of “Voodoo Medicine”. The number of diseases and conditions that can be beneficially treated by PBM continues to grow, with no sign of slowing down. The wide availability of inexpensive LED devices with robust levels of optical power (up to hundreds of watts) that can be used at home has revolutionized the field. The rise of the internet has led to increasing interest and demand for nonpharmacologic, safe and effective treatments for a wide range of human diseases and conditions. Public disillusionment with large pharmaceutical companies (and the ever-increasing prices of their products) and the rise of “alternative and complementary medicine” has played a part. Compared with the vast majority of conventional medical treatments, the incidence of side effects with PBM is low to nonexistent. Nevertheless, the decision that was taken to adopt the new terminology “photobiomodulation” and “photobiomodulation therapy” to replace the plethora of terms and acronyms (over 20 in number) that were previously employed, has allowed everybody to be on the same page and to “sing from the same hymn sheet.” ⁴

Even though there have been well over 3000 articles published in the field of PBM, the number of high-quality articles published in top biomedical journals has been sadly disappointing. This lack may be partly explained by the reluctance of editors and reviewers to take PBM seriously. However, many authors themselves must shoulder some of the responsibility. All too often articles have been based on poorly thought-through hypotheses, have not adequately described the PBM parameters, ⁵ and have presented confusing results without sufficient explanation of the physiological mechanisms behind them.

We hope that all this is about to change. The upcoming renaming of the Journal Photomedicine and Laser Surgery to become Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery will mark a sea-change. There has never been a journal that was the accepted go-to venue to publish PBM articles, until now. Since PBM is growing apace, the number of citations that each good-quality article receives will also grow in concert. Therefore, I envisage the impact factor will significantly rise. We will introduce an option for a graphical abstract to accompany each article that will encapsulate the theme of the article. We will continue to expand our growing field worldwide, including members of WALT and NAALT as the affiliated Journal of the world's leading PBM societies. Special issues, commentaries, and provocative editorials will continue to raise the profile of the Journal, accompanied by judicious use of social media, such as Twitter.

It is a great pleasure for me to take the helm of the Journal as Editor-in-Chief to propel the Journal in this new direction. I am delighted to say that Raymond Lanzafame, who has steered the course of the Journal for over two decades and greatly deserves our gratitude, has agreed to stay on as Executive Editor to smooth the transition and to ensure the highest quality peer review. Dr. Lanzafame has been a vital force in our field and I hope you will join me in thanking him for his important service both to the Journal and his contributions to the field of laser surgery and photomedicine in general.

I look forward to your article submissions and to your ongoing support as we move the Journal into this new era.