b if the cells acquire additional energy, grow faster,
it will soon heal wounds and other injuries. The new discovery immediately
attracted the attention of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration): in
space due to the weak impact of Earth's gravity field activity of mitochondria
decreases, so the damage to tissues and cells to heal longer than on Earth.

Began the new study. NASA Space Flight Center in conjunction with
by Quantum Devices instead of infrared lasers have developed a powerful
NIR-LED (Light Emitting Diode - LED). The fact that the laser systems
cumbersome, expensive and unreliable, and the laser itself, even if short-lived impact,
overheat tissues. LEDs do not have these drawbacks. Unlike
lasers are suitable for treating large areas of the body (because of their light is not
focused), and in addition, can emit longer wavelengths that are deeper
penetrate into the tissue.

NIR-LED therapy has been used successfully to treat skin ulcers, burns,
wounds, severe oral ulcers that occur during chemotherapy and radiotherapy,
used to treat cancer. With the help of LEDs is also possible to treat injuries and
brain tumors (studies have shown that NIR-radiation is easily penetrate through
skull, so you can get by without surgery).
Also, NIR-emitting diodes are used to activate the light-sensitive dasgs
used in chemotherapy, and stimulate the cells to accelerate treatments and
tissue repair.

More recently, there were new studies. Gary Wellen (Harry
Whelan), a neuroscientist at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and his colleagues
tested the NIR-LEDs for eye treatment.

Whelen watered rats with methanol (wood alcohol). In their organism alcohol
turned into formic acid, a toxic substance which suppresses
activity of mitochondria. A few hours later, due to insufficient generation
energy in mitochondria, the cells were killed retinas and optic nerves.
Animals completely blind for a day or two. But scientists have found that if
treated rats NIR-radiation with a wavelength of 670 nanometers at 5, 25 and 50 hours
after the poisoning, it can stop the death of cells and restore sight to
95%. Oddly enough, the retina of cured animals look indistinguishable from
retinal other rats not subjected to methanol poisoning: An
tissue repair, neurons, and perhaps interneuronal connections.

This work has enormous prospects of using NIR-technique for the treatment of
many eye diseases caused by disasption of mitochondria. In
Current research is funded by the U.S. agency DARPA (Defense
Advance Research Projects Agency). The military hopes to use the new
technology for the treatment of soldiers with laser eye burns. According Uelen, their
retina, except in areas with completely disaspted cells can
recover.

Source: Xterra.com