The bioenergetics of COVID-19 immunopathology and the therapeutic potential of biophysical radiances

Abstract

In developing an effective clinical tool against COVID-19, we need to consider why SARS-CoV-2 infections develop along remarkably different trajectories: from completely asymptomatic to a severe course of disease. In this paper we hypothesize that the progressive exhaustion and loss of lymphocytes associated with severe stages of COVID-19 result from an intracellular energy deficit in an organism which has already been depleted by preexisting chronic diseases, acute psychological stress and the aging process. A bioenergetics view of COVID-19 immunopathology opens a new biophysical opportunity to enhance impaired immune function via proposed pathways of photomagnetic catalysis of ATP synthesis, regenerative photobiomodulation and the ultrasonic acceleration of cell restructuring. Moreover, we suggest that a coherent application of multiple biophysical radiances (coMra) may synergistically enhance energy-matter-information kinetics of basal self-regeneration of cells and thus improve immune function and accelerate recovery.

Keywords: Bioenergetics; COVID-19; Low level infrared laser; Magnetic field; Photobiomodulation; Ultrasound; coMra.

Graphical abstract

Fig. 1

After viral entry through the respiratory tract, early signs of innate immunity activation, such as cough, fever, fatigue are common in COVID-19. However, after the stage of activation of adaptive immunity there is a dramatic difference in severity and outcome of the disease.

Fig. 2

The significant energy requirement of an activated immune response explains why in individuals with reduced functional reserve of the body adaptive immunity fails to contain infection. The aging process, circulatory diseases, diabetes and many other chronic conditions may reduce the ability of the body to reallocate energy towards immunity. The bioenergetics calculations are from [26,33] and the clinical course of COVID-19 is from [34].

Fig. 3

A cell extracts energy and matter from the environment to decrease entropy locally, in spite of a global trend to a higher entropy. The generated order can be converted into biological work in the form of specific cellular functions, (immune, respiratory, etc) as well as adaptation and injury repair. The functional reserve of a cell depends on the kinetics of basal regeneration – rate of conversion of absorbed energy and matter into cellular structure and activity. We identified three metabolic processes that can be enhanced using biophysical stimuli: photomagnetic catalysis of ATP synthesis, regenerative biomodulation using visible monochromatic light and the ultrasonic acceleration of cell restructuring.

Fig. 4

In the generally-accepted nucleophilic channel of enzymatic ATP synthesis (A), the two molecules ADP and P are mechanically compressed to overcome the powerful repulsion between the negatively charged electron clouds of the two reactants. There is, however, an additional radical pair reaction channel (B) which is nearly an order of magnitude cheaper in energy than the nucleophilic compression [56]. Photoexcitation (1) shifts the reaction into forming a highly reactive intermediate state of a radical pair (radical-cation Mg⁺ and oxyradical of ADP) in singlet (S) spin state due to spin conservation during electron transfer. Next, phosphorylation leads to formation of ATP (2) but this process is supressed by spin-allowed electron back transfer and regeneration of the initial reactants (3). External magnetic field stimulates conversion (4) of the radical pair into a triplet state (T) in which electron back transfer is spin-forbidden thus increasing the total ATP production (5).

Fig. 5

Changes in neutrophil functional reserve after 7-day treatment course with medication (blue) and medication combined with LLLT (orange) in patients with community-acquired pneumonia [data from 8]. Functional reserve of healthy individuals (n = 30) is shown in green for comparison. The functional reserve index of neutrophils was estimated from their ability to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium in both spontaneous and stimulated tests. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

Fig. 6

Bottom view of medical terminal of the coMra Delta device.

Fig. 7

Sequence of colour LEDs used in coMra therapy to provide a composite regenerative signal.