title: Photobiomodulation of aqueous interfaces: finding evidence to support the exclusion zone in experimental and clinical studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present clinical and experimental evidence of the role of exclusion zone (EZ) water in photobiomodulation.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Water at the interface of most hydrophilic surfaces forms a solute-free area, or EZ, that can project for hundreds of microns. To date, EZ phenomena had been documented in nafion, resins, and biologic membranes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of published experimental and clinical data using an infrared pulsed laser device (IPLD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Photo-induced effects on the water dynamics of burned rat tissue monitored by 1H-NMR transverse relaxation times (1/T2) indicate significantly greater structuring of water. A microdensitometry study of T2 weighted tumor heterogeneities from a phase I clinical trial in patients with advanced neoplasias and an algorithm for tumor characterization also shows significantly increased structuring of water associated with biopolymers and macromolecules.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first known demonstration of the EZ in medicine. Data support the premise that photobiomodulation can increase potential energy in the EZ, which then acts as an energy repository that can selectively supplement cell energy demands. It further suggests EZ structuring may be used as a predicator of anticancer response before measurable tumor volume reduction.
authors.affiliation: Fundalas, Foundation for Interdisciplinary Research and Development , Caracas, Venezuela .
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santana-Blank
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Santana
authors.forename: Karin E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Santana-Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002610:Cheek; D007834:Lasers; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008579:Meningioma / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018462:Photobiology; D051381:Rats; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014867:Water