Enhancing human-induced pluripotent stem cell proliferation and cardiac differentiation through 810-nm photobiomodulation

TL;DR

This study shows that 810-nm light therapy improves the growth and heart cell development of human stem cells.

Contribution

The study introduces a new application of 810-nm photobiomodulation to enhance stem cell proliferation and cardiac differentiation.

Findings

PBM at 1.5 mW/cm² increased hiPSC proliferation and cardiac differentiation.

Treated cells produced more spontaneously beating cardiomyocytes than controls.

The LED device ensures uniform light exposure in standard incubator setups.

Abstract

Photobiomodulation (PBM) has been shown to enhance cell growth and differentiation. This study investigates the effects of 810-nm PBM on the proliferation and cardiac differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), utilizing a custom-made LED device. This device is compatible with standard cell incubators and features an LED array that ensures uniform light exposure to cells in each well of a 96-well plate. hiPSCs were irradiated with 810-nm light at intensities of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mW/cm² for 15 min daily. Outcomes assessed included cell viability, mitochondrial function and morphology, and cardiomyocyte differentiation. The results show that PBM at 1.5 mW/cm² enhanced hiPSC proliferation and cardiac differentiation, yielding a higher number of spontaneously beating cardiomyocytes compared to controls. These findings suggest that 810-nm PBM may improve the efficiency of cardiac cell generation for both research and therapeutic applications.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10103-026-04821-8.

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