A multidisciplinary team of scientists from the University of Westminster and the Central Laser Facility (CLF), with the support of the Guy Foundation Family Trust, has reported a major breakthrough in the development of targeted cancer therapies. Their recent study, published in the Journal of Biophotonics, demonstrates that near-infrared (NIR) laser light can selectively arrest the proliferation of cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected.
In a world increasingly dominated by blue-rich artificial lighting, our exposure to natural red and near-infrared wavelengths—abundant in sunlight and incandescent lighting—has been significantly reduced. Emerging evidence now suggests that this modern light deficiency may have implications for cellular health. Therapeutic exposure to red and NIR light, a field known as photobiomodulation (PBM), is being intensively investigated for its regenerative and modulatory effects on cellular processes.
Building on this research, scientists from the University of Westminster partnered with Professor Stan Botchway and Dr Alasdair Mackenzie at the CLF to explore the therapeutic potential of non-ionising NIR lasers in oncology. In their experimental work, cancerous and non-cancerous cells were exposed to daily 20-minute doses of NIR light over a period of one week. The researchers then used fluorescent markers to detect cellular senescence—an irreversible state in which cells cease to divide.
The results were striking: only cancer cells exhibited signs of senescence following NIR exposure, while healthy cells continued to divide normally. This selective effect, the team hypothesises, stems from the fundamentally different metabolic profiles of cancer and normal cells. Whereas healthy cells primarily rely on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation for energy production, cancer cells preferentially utilise cytoplasmic glycolysis (a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect). As PBM primarily influences mitochondrial activity via the activation of light-sensitive chromophores, the divergent responses observed may be rooted in these distinct metabolic pathways.
PBM, originally developed in 1967 by Hungarian physician Endre Mester, involves the use of red to near-infrared light to activate intracellular chromophores. This photonic stimulation initiates a cascade of molecular events—including modulation of gene expression and mitochondrial function—that can promote healing, reduce inflammation, and now, potentially, inhibit cancer cell proliferation.
Historically, PBM has been applied to treat a range of conditions including chronic inflammation, wound healing, and the mitigation of cancer treatment side effects such as mucositis, xerostomia, and trismus. However, this latest study marks an important step forward by suggesting PBM could also play a direct role in impeding tumour growth. "Our findings suggest that the very metabolic adaptations that make cancer cells successful may also be their Achilles' heel," explains Dr Ifigeneia Kalampouka, Research Fellow at the University of Westminster.
Given the limitations of conventional cancer therapies—such as chemotherapy and radiation—which often damage both cancerous and healthy tissues, the discovery of a treatment modality that selectively targets tumour cells is both promising and urgently needed.
The research team notes that while further studies are required to fully understand the mechanisms and optimise treatment protocols, these findings pave the way for the development of a novel, non-invasive and highly targeted therapeutic strategy in oncology.
Read the full paper here.
