The Effect of Photobiomodulation Therapy on the Differentiation, Proliferation, and Migration of the Mesenchymal Stem Cell: A Review

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a low-power laser on the proliferation, migration, differentiation of different types of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in different studies. Methods: The relevant articles that were published from 2004 to 2019 were collected from the sources of PubMed, Scopus, and only the articles specifically examining the effect of a low-power laser on the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of the MSCs were investigated. Results: After reviewing the literature, only 42 articles were found relevant. Generally, most of the studies demonstrated that different laser parameters increased the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of the MSCs, except the results of two studies which were contradictory. In fact, changing the parameters of a low-power laser would affect the results. On the other hand, the source of the stem cells was reported as a key factor. In addition, the combination of lasers with other therapeutic approaches was found to be more effective. Conclusion: The different parameters of lasers has been found to be effective in the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of the MSCs and in general, a low-power laser has a positive effect on the MSCs, helping to improve different disease models.