The deleterious effects of blue light exposure on the retina of the human eye were significantly mitigated by subsequent exposure to red light
Blue light has a damaging effect on the ARPE-19 retinal cells, which come from the pigment layer of the retina and are important for the health of the eye. Under the influence of harmful blue light wavelengths, cells lose their vitality, their mitochondria stop functioning properly and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increases, which damage cells. In addition, blue light triggers the activation of proteins related to cell death. But research shows that subsequent exposure to red light significantly reduces these harmful effects. When the cells were exposed to cycles of blue light after 40 days of growing in the dark, the tight junctions between them deteriorated. However, this negative effect was partially neutralised when blue light was combined with red light. Thus, red light is offered as a non-invasive therapy against the harmful effects of blue light on retinal pigment epithelial cells, which is relevant for age-related macular degeneration.
