# Sleep-dependent mechanisms of improving cerebral blood flow and reducing Alzheimer's disease progression by photobiomodulation with near-infrared light

> **NIH NIH R01** · BOSTON VA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC. · 2024 · $715,152

## Abstract

Brain photobiomodulation (PBM) using near-infrared (NIR) light is a promising new approach for treating
Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Despite the high interest in using PBM to treat AD, its application is currently
hindered by the insufficient understanding of the mechanisms of NIR light actions in the brain.
Additionally, NIR-I light (650-900 nm) has not achieved clinical significance due to its insufficient
penetration into the brain tissue. We hypothesize that the key mechanisms underlying treatment
properties of NIR light in AD include the activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the
brain, increase of nitric oxide (NO) production by endothelial cells, vasomotion, increase of glymphatic
flow, and reduction of amyloid β load and tau pathology. Further, we hypothesize that these
mechanisms can be markedly enhanced by the pulsation of NIR-II light (1000-1700 nm) at a low
frequency during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Our specific aims are designed to test the key
elements of this hypothesis. We plan to test that NIR light treatment is most efficient when it is delivered
in NIR-II window and during NREM sleep (aim 1), that the rate of NIR light stimulation rather than its
duration determines the efficiency of the PBM treatment in AD (aim 2), and that eNOS is the key
mediator of therapeutic effects of NIR light in AD, whereas neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is not
(aim 3). Thus, we propose a series of translational studies that are aimed to improve our understanding
or the role of NIR light in reducing the AD pathology as well as to identify the way of NIR light delivery
that is most efficient in treating AD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10837121
- **Project number:** 5R01AG081809-02
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON VA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** DMITRY GERASHCHENKO
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $715,152
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-05-15 → 2028-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10837121

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10837121, Sleep-dependent mechanisms of improving cerebral blood flow and reducing Alzheimer's disease progression by photobiomodulation with near-infrared light (5R01AG081809-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10837121. Licensed CC0.

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