Light Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Abstract
Photobiomodulation, by utilizing low-power light in the visible or near-infrared spectrum to trigger biological responses in cells and tissues, has been considered as a possible therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), while its specific mechanisms have remained elusive. Here, we provide evidence that cognitive and memory impairment in an AD mouse model can be ameliorated by 1070-nm light via reducing cerebral β-amyloid (Aβ) burden, the hallmark of AD. The glial cells, including microglia and astrocytes, play important roles in Aβ clearance. Our results show that 1070-nm light pulsed at 10 Hz triggers microglia rather than astrocyte responses in AD mice. The 1070-nm light-induced microglia responses with alteration in morphology and increased colocalization with Aβ are sufficient to reduce Aβ load in AD mice.
Moreover, we demonstrate that 1070-nm light pulsed at 10 Hz can reduce perivascular microglia and promote angiogenesis to further improve Aβ clearance. Our study confirms the important roles of microglia and cerebral vessels in the use of 1070-nm light for the treatment of AD mice and provides a framework for developing a novel therapeutic
approach for AD.
Biography
Dr. Wei received his bachelor in physics from University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei. He received his PhD from Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine. Dr. Wei completed his post-doc training at Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. From 2006-2010, he was a professor in Fudan University, China. From 2006-2010, he was a professor and chair in Department of Biomedical Instrumentation, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.
Currently, he is a professor at Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University. Dr. Wei is an SPIE Fellow, and recipient of Chinese Outstanding Young Scholar Award. He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed papers, including in Nature and PNAS. His research interests include cancer detection by optical means, optical manipulation of cells, and light treatment of Alzheimer disease.
Click here to register for in-person attendance (lunch will be served)
