A Comprehensive Overview of Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation: From Mechanism to Clinical Prospects
Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation: The Absolute Primer and Overview
Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation / Ultraviolet (UV) Blood Therapy is a form of alternative medicine wherein low-level ultraviolet (uv) rays are applied through your blood system (often, your blood is drawn and sent through an intravenous (IV) tube) in order to produce therapeutic results. This practice has been researched since the 1920’s, and several decades worth of investigations have expanded the knowledge base concerning UBI, as well as methods to apply it in clinical settings, but UBI continues to be controversial within mainstream medicine.
UBI works via UV light’s photo-chemical effects on blood components; UV wavelengths that are relatively short (200-280 microns, (more particularly 254 nanometers)) are particularly effective for pathogen inactivation, because they alter the DNA or RNA of the pathogens, causing them to cease replicating and proliferating. Additionally, UBI stimulates the immune system by using the combined effects of killed pathogens and their autogenous antigen properties to excite dendritic cells and monocytes to promote the development of a systemic immune response, which assists in the eradication of infection throughout your body. UBI also increases circulation of blood throughout your body; increases red blood cell’s oxygen transport capacity; and regulates lipid metabolism to help you achieve homeostasis.
UBI can be administered through three primary methods; extracorporeal, transcutaneous and intravenous. The most frequently used method of UBI application is through an extracorporeal blood donation method where blood is collected, irradiated within a special cuvette (treatment container), and then returned back into the patient. Historically, UBI was frequently utilized as a treatment for bacterial sepsis, viral infections, asthma and recalcitrant ulcers in the 1940’s and 1950’s, but UBI is now being studied as a potential adjunctive therapy to treat chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune diseases and antibiotic resistant infections. More recent interest in UBI are due to its ability to stimulate immune tolerance and enhance inflammatory response in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
The decline of UBI as a mainstream medical practice occurred after the development of antibiotics and the absence of double-blind, controlled studies to demonstrate its safety and efficacy across patient populations. The most current literature examining the safety and efficacy of UBI has been conducted in Germany, Russia and other countries and its findings have demonstrated the benefit of UBI for pathogen inactivation (primarily with respect to bacterial and some viral pathogens) and for immune modulation. UBI was found to be moderately inhibitive to HIV-1 in the laboratory and there is ongoing research to explore new UV light sources; full-spectrum flash xenon lights have demonstrated that UBI can be administered with similar outcomes as traditional UV therapy while utilizing a lower dose to increase efficiency and improve safety.
It is important to recognize that UBI is distinctly different from gamma-irradiation employed in transfusion medicine and extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP). While ECP has demonstrated an immunosuppressive effect; UBI is primarily intended to stimulate the immune system. The resurgence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and global outbreaks of novel viral diseases continues to contribute to the reexamination of UBI as an adjunct therapy, and as new research emerges, the body of evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of UBI will continue to increase.