Combining near infrared (NIR) laser irradiation into a tumor treatment therapy has shown promising results. For a comprehensive tumor therapy, it is important to understand the effects of NIR irradiation not only on the tumor, but on the tumor stroma as well. The composition of the microenvironment present near the tumor cells is critical to the phenotype of the tumor. Fibroblasts affect tissue homeostasis and change the microenvironment surrounding the tumor. Myofibroblast are derived from fibroblast cells, and in some cases indicate the transformation of healthy tissue into malignant tissue. Wound healing environments are rich in fibroblast cells and are similar to tumor stromas. To simulate a tumor stroma a wound healing environment was constructed. Two different human fibroblast cells were cultured in collagen lattices. Specifically, collagen lattices were created, with type 1 collagen, incubated for 5 days and irradiated with a 980nm laser on the 4th day. The subsequent collagen lattices were either released and measured, or fixed for immunostaining on the 5th day; the contraction rates also were analyzed. Furthermore, collagen lattices were stained to identify fibroblast proliferation and differentiation, into myofibroblasts. The results suggested NIR laser irradiation had some biological effects on the fibroblast cells, but the full extent of the effects is still unclear.

Date Published: 25 February 2013
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 8582, Biophotonics and Immune Responses VIII, 858208 (25 February 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2001432

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8582:
Biophotonics and Immune Responses VIII
Wei R. Chen, Editor(s)