Home›Rheumatology› Photobiomodulation protocol aims to consolidate preclinical evidence for ophthalmic diseases
Photobiomodulation protocol aims to consolidate preclinical evidence for ophthalmic diseasesPlanning to Review Light Therapy for Common Eye Diseases and Injuries
Frontiers in MedicinePublished August 12, 2026DOI ↗Editorial oversight: Dr. Amelia Tan, PhD · Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease
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Key Takeaway
Interpret this protocol as a plan for future evidence synthesis; no clinical conclusions are warranted yet.
This publication is a protocol for a planned systematic review and meta-analysis, designed to synthesize preclinical evidence on photobiomodulation (PBM) for ophthalmic diseases. The scope includes animal models of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and corneal injury. The protocol specifies primary outcomes of therapeutic efficacy, with secondary outcomes covering morphological, visual functional, and inflammatory measures.
As a protocol, no data have been analyzed, and no results are reported. The authors aim to consolidate existing preclinical evidence to inform future trial designs and standardized protocols for PBM in ophthalmology. The absence of reported effect sizes, sample sizes, or comparators underscores that this is an early-stage methodological blueprint.
Key limitations include the lack of any analyzed data, which precludes assessment of efficacy or safety. Adverse events, tolerability, and follow-up durations are not reported. The protocol's success depends on the quality and availability of primary studies, which are not yet evaluated.
For clinicians, this protocol signals an upcoming synthesis of PBM's preclinical potential, but it offers no current practice-changing evidence. Practitioners should await the completed meta-analysis and subsequent clinical validation before considering PBM as a therapeutic option for these conditions.
How this fits prior evidence
This protocol addresses a gap in prior coverage by planning a systematic synthesis of photobiomodulation (PBM) in animal models across multiple ophthalmic conditions, including glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. It extends prior findings on glaucoma diagnostics and stress-related pathways by proposing to evaluate a non-pharmacological intervention. It also complements earlier preclinical work on marine compounds for AMD by broadening the scope to PBM. However, as a protocol, it does not yet confirm or contrast with prior results; it only outlines methodology for future evidence synthesis.
Scientists are preparing a major review to look at how light therapy, known as photobiomodulation, affects various eye conditions. This plan aims to gather information from many different studies to see if this treatment helps patients with issues like age-related macular degeneration.
The review will focus on several key areas including how the eye heals physically and whether it improves a person's vision. It also looks at how light therapy might reduce swelling or irritation in the eyes caused by injury or disease.
Because many different studies exist, this plan is necessary to organize all the information into one clear report. By doing this, doctors can better understand if light therapy is a safe and effective way to treat common eye problems.
This work will help experts create better rules for future tests on humans. It aims to provide a clearer path for using light as a tool to protect vision and improve the lives of people with chronic eye conditions.
What this means for you:
Experts are planning a review to see if light therapy can effectively treat common eye diseases and injuries.
Common questions
What is photobiomodulation?
Photobiomodulation, or PBM, is a therapy that uses light to stimulate healing in tissues. In this context, it's being studied for eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and corneal injury. The idea is that certain wavelengths of light can help cells repair and reduce inflammation.
Is this treatment available now?
No. This study is a protocol for a future review, not a completed study. There are no results yet, so we don't know if PBM works for these eye conditions. It's still in the research phase, and it's not a treatment you can get from your doctor right now.
Who could this help?
If the review finds that PBM is effective, it could potentially help people with age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and corneal injury. But since the review hasn't been done, we don't know yet. The goal is to guide future trials and standardize protocols.
What are the side effects?
The study didn't report any side effects because it's a protocol, not a completed study. There's no data on safety or tolerability yet. Any potential risks or side effects would be evaluated in the actual review and in future clinical trials.
BackgroundDespite accumulating preclinical evidence supporting the therapeutic efficacy of photobiomodulation (PBM) in ophthalmic disease models, the systematic evaluation and quantitative synthesis of these findings remain underexplored. This protocol aims to comprehensively synthesize existing studies by categorizing outcome measures into morphological, visual, and inflammatory domains according to ophthalmic pathology. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of PBM for ophthalmic diseases and to consolidate the current body of preclinical evidence.MethodsThis study will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. We will include controlled preclinical studies using animal models of four predefined ophthalmic conditions: age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), glaucoma, and corneal injury. A systematic search will be conducted across relevant electronic databases without restrictions on publication date. Outcomes will be categorized into three domains, morphological, visual functional, and inflammatory, to evaluate the efficacy of PBM in ophthalmic diseases. Two independent reviewers will perform study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment using the SYRCLE tool. Where appropriate, meta-analyses will be conducted using random-effects models, with heterogeneity assessed using I2 statistics. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses will be performed to explore sources of variability.DiscussionThis systematic review aims to integrate and assess the quality of current evidence regarding PBM’s efficacy across morphological, visual functional, and inflammatory outcomes. Findings will contribute to future trial designs and support the development of standardized protocols for PBM applications in ophthalmology.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251054002, PROSPERO CRD420251054002.
