Continuous low-intensity laser irradiation (LILI) affects the state of cells in culture, including their proliferation rate. Data collected with various cell models vary significantly, but most studies have reported positive effects of LILI on cell proliferation. The effects of continuous infrared LILI (835 nm) was studied using three independent different melanoma cell lines. The LILI effect was shown to strongly depend on the irradiation dose. Higher doses (230 kJ/m^(2)) significantly suppressed the cell growth. A further increase in LILI dose led to a significant cytotoxic effect, which increased disproportionately quickly with the increasing light intensity. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were found to be significantly more resistant to the cytotoxic effect of higher-dose LILI. Importantly, the effects were not due to the difference in culture conditions. Control experiments showed that 15 non-melanoma tumor cell lines were more resistant to LILI than melanoma cells. Selective sensitivity of melanoma cells to LILI in vitro was assumed to provide a basis for LILI-based approaches to melanoma treatment.
Keywords: cytotoxicity; infrared low-intensity laser irradiation; lasers; melanoma; mesenchymal stem cells.