[Advances in the research on bactericidal effect of blue light and its mechanism].

Blue light is commonly used to kill Propionibacterium acnes in clinic. Furthermore, blue light exhibits a good bactericidal effect against Helicobacter pylori, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and many oral bacteria in laboratory studies. The bactericidal mechanism of blue light as commonly accepted consists photo-excitation of intracellular porphyrins resulting in production of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species which can inactivate bacteria. Blue light can kill bacteria without additional exogenous photosensitizers. In addition, it produces little harm to mammalian cells. Therefore, as the increasing emergence of antibiotic resistant microorganisms, blue light might be a good antibacterial tool.