Red Light Shines Hope on Psoriasis Treatment

Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, itchy, and scaly patches. It happens when the immune system goes into overdrive. Scientists have been looking into new ways to treat it. One interesting approach is using red light from LEDs. This light has a wavelength of 660 nm. It might help calm down inflammation and heal the skin. In a recent study, researchers used mice to test this idea. They induced psoriasis in the mice using a cream called imiquimod. This cream mimics the symptoms of psoriasis. The mice were treated with the cream for 12 days. Starting from day 4, every other day, they were exposed to red LED light. This went on for a total of five sessions. The results were promising. The mice that got the LED treatment showed less severe symptoms. Their skin was less thick and red. Under the microscope, the skin looked better too. There were fewer mast cells, which are involved in allergic reactions and inflammation. The collagen fibers, which give skin its strength and elasticity, were also more evenly distributed. However, the LED treatment didn't fix everything. It didn't reduce the overall thickness of the skin's deeper layers. Also, the treatment didn't prevent changes in the spleen, an organ that's part of the immune system. The spleen got bigger and had more white pulp, which is a sign of immune activity. The study also looked at the levels of certain proteins in the skin and blood. These proteins, like IL-1β and TNF-α, are involved in inflammation. The LED treatment lowered their levels in the skin. In the blood, the level of IL-22, another inflammatory protein, was also reduced. But other proteins didn't show significant changes. So, what does all this mean? It seems that red LED light can help ease psoriasis symptoms. It might do this by reducing inflammation. But it's not a cure-all. It doesn't fix everything that goes wrong in psoriasis. Still, it's a promising start. It could be a helpful addition to current treatments.