white paper

Abdominal Photobiomodulation and the Gut-Brain Axis: A Systematic Review of Mechanistic and Translational Evidence

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Bidirectional communication between the gut and brain is central to neurological and psychiatric health, and abdominal photobiomodulation (PBM) has emerged as a promising non-invasive way to modulate this axis by targeting intestinal mitochondria, epithelial integrity, and the microbiota. We systematically reviewed preclinical and clinical evidence on abdominal PBM, alone or in combined protocols, reporting microbiome, metabolic, or neurobehavioral outcomes.

Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 recommendations, we searched MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect through May 2025 for animal and human studies applying PBM to the abdomen and reporting gut-related, metabolic, or brain-related outcomes.

Results: Nine studies met the eligibility criteria (five human, four animal). Human trials, mainly in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, used 630–904 nm light and reported gains in mobility, balance, cognition, and olfaction; one trial also showed microbiota modulation with a decreased Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio. Animal models revealed cognitive improvement, reduced neuroinflammation, dopaminergic neuroprotection, and microbial rebalancing. Mechanistic findings converged on enhanced mitochondrial bioenergetics, redox and anti-inflammatory signaling, vagal activation, and short-chain fatty acid-mediated effects.

Conclusions: Current evidence, though limited by small samples, heterogeneous dosimetry, combined treatment sites, and few sham-controlled human trials, suggests that abdominal PBM can influence the gut–brain axis through converging mitochondrial, immune, and microbial mechanisms. Adequately powered randomized trials with standardized dosimetry, validated mechanistic biomarkers, and integrative multi-omics analyses are needed to clarify causal pathways and optimize translational applications.

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white paper

Modifying the Microbiome as a Potential Mechanism of Photobiomodulation: A Case Report

Abstract

Objective:

The objective of this case study was to elucidate the effect of photobiomodulation (PBM) on the microbiome.

Background:

The gut microbiome has been identified as a key component of health, with gut dysbiosis, characterized by decreased microbial diversity and an altered microbial composition, being recognized as instrumental in many diseases and disorders. Previous research has suggested that the gut microbiome can be favorably altered in animal models using PBM.

Materials and methods:

The participant had their microbiome tested on nine occasions, three times before any treatment, three times after radiotherapy and commencement of immunotherapy for breast cancer, and three times after PBM treatment. The PBM treatment consisted of infrared laser treatment (904 nm; 700 Hz pulse frequency, 861.3 total joules) to the abdomen three times per week for 11 weeks.

Results:

The microbiome of the participant showed significant changes in diversity after PBM treatment, but not after cancer therapy, with an increase in the number of known beneficial bacteria (Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Roseburia) and decrease in the number of potentially pathogenic genera.

Conclusions:

The results suggested the possibility that PBM may alter the microbiome and thus it represents a therapeutic avenue for chronic diseases with otherwise limited treatment options.

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