New Discovery: UV LED Helps Reduce Antibiotic Use and Enhances Its Effectiveness

UV LEDs are widely used for disinfecting medical devices and household products. A Danish research team further discovered that combining treatment with UV irradiation helps enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics in eradicating bacteria. Therefore, light-assisted therapy can reduce the use of antibiotics.

Overuse of antibiotics can lead to bacterial resistance, and in the worst case, to incurable diseases. To prevent this, researchers are trying to find alternative therapies to reduce antibiotic use. As people gradually become aware of the bactericidal function of UV LEDs, Danish researchers have discovered that in vitro UV irradiation at specific wavelengths can eradicate bacteria in biofilm state more effectively than antibiotics. In addition, according to the research team, the combination of UV radiation and antibiotics can eliminate bacteria more effectively, thereby giving rise to a new concept, namely light-assisted antibiotics.

In the study, the team used UV LEDs with a wavelength range between 249nm and 338nm for radiation therapy to kill bacteria on biofilms. The results showed that within the 292~306 nm wavelength range, the irradiation effect was more pronounced, with 296 nm being the most effective. The research results were published in Scientific Reports on November 5.

By revealing the concept of light-assisted antibiotic methods, the research team hopes to help develop new therapies that combine light sources and antibiotics, strengthening and improving the treatment of biofilm infections.