Light-based technologies for management of COVID-19 pandemic crisis

Caetano P Sabino; Anthony R Ball; Mauricio S Baptista; Tianhong Dai; Michael R Hamblin; Martha S Ribeiro; Ana L Santos; Fábio P Sellera; George P Tegos; Mark Wainwright

doi:10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.111999

Light-based technologies for management of COVID-19 pandemic crisis

J Photochem Photobiol B. 2020 Nov:212:111999. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.111999. Epub 2020 Aug 19.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil; BioLambda, Scientific and Commercial LTD, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: caetano@biolambda.com.
² GAMA Therapeutics LLC, Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, Worcester, USA.
³ Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.. Electronic address: baptista@iq.usp.br.
⁴ Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁵ Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Science, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, South Africa.
⁶ Center for Lasers and Applications, Nuclear, and Energy Research Institute, National Commission for Nuclear Energy, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
⁷ GAMA Therapeutics LLC, Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, Worcester, USA; Department of Chemistry Rice University, Houston, TX, USA; IdISBA - Fundación de Investigación Sanitaria de las Islas Baleares, Palma, Spain.
⁸ Department of Internal Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; School of Veterinary Medicine, Metropolitan University of Santos, Santos, Brazil.
⁹ GAMA Therapeutics LLC, Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, Worcester, USA; Micromoria LLC, Marlborough, USA.
¹⁰ School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.

Abstract

The global dissemination of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has accelerated the need for the implementation of effective antimicrobial strategies to target the causative agent SARS-CoV-2. Light-based technologies have a demonstrable broad range of activity over standard chemotherapeutic antimicrobials and conventional disinfectants, negligible emergence of resistance, and the capability to modulate the host immune response. This perspective article identifies the benefits, challenges, and pitfalls of repurposing light-based strategies to combat the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: germicidal; photobiology; photobiomodulation; photodynamic; photoinactivation; ultraviolet; virucidal.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification
Betacoronavirus / radiation effects
COVID-19
Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections / pathology
Coronavirus Infections / therapy*
Coronavirus Infections / virology
Humans
Infrared Rays / therapeutic use
Lasers, Solid-State / therapeutic use
Light*
Low-Level Light Therapy
Pandemics
Photosensitizing Agents / chemistry
Photosensitizing Agents / therapeutic use
Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
Pneumonia, Viral / pathology
Pneumonia, Viral / therapy*
Pneumonia, Viral / virology
SARS-CoV-2
Ultraviolet Rays

Substances

Photosensitizing Agents

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding