Does Blue Light Really Cause Autophagy and Ferroptosis?

The literature usually states that blue light is harmful because it damages DNA. This damaged DNA activates the mechanism of cellular senescence or directly triggers cell removal through apoptosis/ferroptosis.

Something about this doesn't add up to me. DNA damage occurs constantly in our bodies, and at the same time, DNA is constantly being repaired. Why should blue light in particular be so extremely harmful, much more so than other destructive environmental factors, such as cosmic radiation? It doesn't make much sense to me. Don't you think?

First of all, if blue and UV-A light directly damage DNA, how is it possible that there are methods that protect cells? Yes, you might argue that activating pigment production can protect cells by safely absorbing blue radiation. But pigment production is only triggered by UV-B. So how is it that there are methods to protect cells from blue light even in the absence of UV-B?

Perhaps I'm being too bold, but I believe that DNA damage is not caused by blue light or UV-A themselves, but by superoxide, or rather, by insufficient superoxide dismutase activity. I cannot otherwise explain the facts that the effects of blue light can be prevented, for example, by blocking the OPN3 photoreceptor or by blocking the p53 protein.

So, the pathway through which blue light damages DNA, subsequently activating p53, blocking the cysteine transporter SLC7A11, and impairing the antioxidant protection of fats by suppressing the function of glutathione peroxidase GPX4, is probably considerably longer than it might appear at first glance from the image above.

For blue light to damage DNA, something must inhibit superoxide dismutase (SOD). We know that blue light activates certain photoreceptors, such as OPN3. OPN3 activates lipolysis and the release of free fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are the most vulnerable to oxidative stress. Turning off OPN3 eliminates the effects of blue light. Without OPN3, blue light probably causes neither autophagy (the removal of unnecessary cellular material) nor ferroptosis (a form of regulated cell death involving iron ions and polyunsaturated fatty acids).

It seems, then, that the cause is not blue light itself, but its interaction with OPN3 photoreceptors. These are located deep within tissues, so how can they be activated there? We don't know yet. Something must be carrying or transmitting the light, or perhaps just the signal. It could be the nervous or vascular system, but it appears that light enters the body primarily through the eyes.

Blocking blue and violet light with glasses at the very edge of the visible spectrum may have effects throughout the entire body. Read more about it here. I've already mentioned this here; perhaps the released fats transmit the signal. We already know that this blocking of light is probably not a good idea.

This study suggests that violet and blue light may also help address the problem of cancer. Sometimes, it makes sense to remove unnecessary material and dysfunctional cells. At other times, they need to multiply. Perhaps the determining factor is intensity, perhaps the ratio of the blue and violet components of light. Who knows? Natural, unfiltered white daylight should give us a clue as to what is right.

However, one problem remains: Is violet light safe in our modern, toxic environment? It seems that in the past, full-spectrum sunlight did not bother us. But what about today? What about the excess of omega-6 linoleic acid in our modern diet? Are we more vulnerable? Just as fructose is now far more dangerous to us than it used to be, the combination of linoleic acid and oxidative stress caused by blue and UV-A light could have similar effects. We should therefore exercise caution and apply antioxidant protection, for example, by ensuring adequate vitamin C intake and consuming sufficient short- and medium-chain fatty acids in our diet, which reduce lipolysis and thus help prevent the body from being overloaded with fats. To establish definitively what is beneficial and what is not, we would need more studies on the effects of violet and blue light, both individually and in combination, especially in humans.


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References:

Blue Light Pollution and Ocular Surface Toxicity: p53-Mediated Ferroptosis in Corneal Epithelium Drives Dry Eye Pathogenesis

Blue light-emitting diodes induce autophagy in colon cancer cells by Opsin 3

The Hidden Harms of Modern Lighting and the Fight to Bring Back Incandescent Bulbs


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