Biophoton signaling in mediation of cell-to-cell communication and radiation-induced bystander effects

" More recently, experimental evidence of non-chemical and non-contact cell-to-cell communication across diverse biological systems has been inspiringly provided [57, 58, 59, 60]. The phenomenon known as "physically mediated communication" has been reported [61], involving identified physical signals such as ultraviolet, visible and infrared light, electromagnetic fields of extremely high and low frequencies, as well as sound waves [58,62,63]." {Credits 1}

" The biophoton emissions are hypothesized to serve as cellular crosstalk signals, facilitating both inter- and intra-cellular communication within cellular populations, tissues, or organisms [67,71,72]. Consequently, they have been considered as potential information carriers [73, 74, 75], capable of triggering the release of bystander-eliciting soluble factors." {Credits 1}

" In the field of biophoton research, there are two types of photon emission. Spontaneous photon emission occurs in a natural way, in general without the addition of external chemicals or physical stimuli, in almost all types of cells, whereby it is generally stronger in more highly developed organisms. On the other hand, induced photon emission serves as a pivotal methodology for observing the coherence state of light triggered by stressors such as chemicals, virus and radiations [94, 95, 96, 97]. This methodology involves exposing an organic sample to a flash of light, which subsequently prompts the sample to emit a distinctive photon signal known as "delayed luminescence". By carefully analyzing this signal, it becomes evident that the decay characteristics of biophoton luminescence exhibits a non-exponential pattern, which provides compelling evidence for the inherent coherence present in the emission [98,99]." {Credits 1}

" In the quantum realm, coherence signifies that subatomic particles exist in a state of harmonious alignment. Technically, it denotes a state where subatomic waves or particles are synchronized, sharing the same phase. In the context of biophotons, the concept of coherence was introduced alongside the idea of synergy, emphasizing a cooperative dynamic among particles [100]. Coherence implies that the photon particles or waves emitted by cells integrate into an interconnected system, operating as a synchronized electromagnetic field. The degree of order exhibited by such light is indicative of its laser-like attributes, testament to the intricate interplay among its constituent components." {Credits 1}

" The biophotonic theory postulates that light is sequestered within the DNA of cells [86]. This assertion was corroborated by observations made when ultraweak photo emission ceased to manifest upon the removal of cell nuclei. According to this theory, DNA functions akin to an "exciplex/excimer laser system", and serves as a repository for photons, subsequently releasing them as coherent light. Technically speaking, the coherent states of light originate in the DNA as a result of complex interactions between electromagnetic waves and the mechanical oscillations of the bases within the DNA molecular structure [101]." {Credits 1}

" Just as the onion experiment demonstrated that ultraviolet photons can serve as a trigger for cell division by as much as 30 % increase of the division rate [102], there is ample evidence suggesting that biophotons belonging to wider ranges of electromagnetic spectrum must also be tightly linked to biological and physiological functions, serving as the medium for biological information transfer [103]." {Credits 1}

" Using a human breast cancer-bearing nude mice model, the spectral characteristics of UPE from the body surface were analyzed. The results showed that the spectral distribution of UPE from the lesion side of the body surface of tumor mice was significantly different from that of healthy controls, regardless of whether visible morphological changes at the lesion site and which stages of the breast cancer development were involved [165]." {Credits 1}

" The measurements of biophoton emission from human hands and forehead were performed daily for a period of over 9 months. The result displayed clearly identified biological rhythms of the emissions from the hands and forehead, with periods of 7, 14, 21, 27, 80 and 270 d. While the photon intensities of the hands were in the same phase of the rhythm, the emissions from the forehead were phase-shifted relative to those of the hands [184], which disclosed a quantum coherence nature [185]." {Credits 1}

" Cells are capable of interacting reciprocally without relying solely on molecular signals, implying that not all cellular processes hinge exclusively on molecule-receptor recognition. In addition to being a world of molecules, cells are also a world of electromagnetic fields that play major roles in morphogenesis of multicellular organisms [221]. Biophotons, as the most probably non-molecular signals, may provide with cells to use more than one frequency of electromagnetic waves to correspond for information transfer and mutual interaction." {Credits 1}

" There is evidence to indicate that biophotons function as coherent information-encoding signals, similar to binary-encoded data, to exchange information between biological systems [86]. The coherent and squeezed coherent states hold a noteworthy advantage in cellular communication. In a study with baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells grown on one side of glass slides with different filter coats, fresh cells were inoculated on the opposing face of the slides to observe the growth of these newly inoculated cells. The results suggested that the newly inoculated cells were able to detect the orientation of cells residing on the other face. However, this correlation vanished when a thin metal filter coat was applied between the two faces. Conversely, the presence of a thin silicone coating on the glass had no impact on this effect, hinting that the wavelength of this radiation likely falls within the red to infrared spectrum. This intriguing phenomenon points to a rudimentary form of cellular "vision" [223]." {Credits 1}

{Credits 1} 🎪 Tong, J. (2024). Biophoton signaling in mediation of cell-to-cell communication and radiation-induced bystander effects. Radiation Medicine and Protection. © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.