“Alterations in visible light exposure modulate platelet function and regulate thrombus formation”: comment from Fan et al.

Andraska et al. have evaluated a therapeutic concept that harkens back to red light therapy used in Japan’s Edo era for smallpox treatment and Nobel Laureate Dr Niels Finsen’s Red Rooms, providing a molecular, metabolomics, and physiological basis for the efficacy of photobiomodulation. Whether the operative mechanism is red-photon addition, blue-photon subtraction, neurocircadian entrainment, or lipid rewiring of platelets remains to be determined. Further studies involving rigorous radiometric dosing, mechanistic deconvolution with genetic and autonomic probes, and sex-stratified and disease-stratified models are needed. Harmonized reporting of wavelength, irradiance, and exposure geometry will be essential for regulatory approval, particularly for medical device classification and safety. Should these succeed, photobiomodulation could mature from a medical hypothesis into a practical, noninvasive adjunct for high-risk patients in whom standard anticoagulation carries a significant bleeding risk, bridging ancient therapeutic wisdom with modern precision medicine.