Objective: Current therapies and technologies used to treat hard-to-heal diabetic wounds are limited to a 50% healing rate. The rise in the percentage of lower limb non-traumatic amputations in patients with diabetes has caused an increased demand for alternative, effective and safe treatment modalities. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) utilises light to induce physiological changes and provide therapeutic benefits and has been shown to increase the healing of hard-to-heal wounds through the release of growth factors. The aim of this narrative review is to investigate the effect of photobiomodulation (PBM) on fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and the role of the Ras/MAPK signalling pathway in diabetic wound healing.
Method: Relevant journal articles were obtained through PubMed and Google Scholar.
Results: Experimental and clinical findings from the review show that PBM can stimulate the release of growth factors, including FGF, an essential cytokine in wound healing, and one which is present at lower concentrations in diabetic wounds. There is also activation of the Ras/MAPK signalling pathway.
Conclusion: One mechanism through which healing may be stimulated by PBM is via the FGF-Ras/MAPK signalling pathway, although strong evidence under hyperglycaemic conditions is lacking.
Keywords: Ras/MAPK; diabetes; fibroblast growth factor; photobiomodulation; signalling pathway; wound; wound care; wound healing.