Feasibility and Safety of Endoscopic Balloon-Assisted Laser Treatment (EBLT) for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Functional, Structural, and Gene Expression Analysis in Preclinical Model
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent disorder caused by lower esophageal sphincter (LES) dysfunction, often requiring long-term treatment. This study assessed the feasibility of endoscopic balloon-assisted laser treatment (EBLT) using a porcine GERD model. One week after GERD induct...
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2025-04-01
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| author | Boram Cha Hyejin Kim Van Gia Truong Sun-Ju Oh Seok Jeong Hyun Wook Kang |
| author_facet | Boram Cha Hyejin Kim Van Gia Truong Sun-Ju Oh Seok Jeong Hyun Wook Kang |
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| description | Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent disorder caused by lower esophageal sphincter (LES) dysfunction, often requiring long-term treatment. This study assessed the feasibility of endoscopic balloon-assisted laser treatment (EBLT) using a porcine GERD model. One week after GERD induction, EBLT was performed on three animals, while one served as a control. A 980 nm continuous-wave laser was delivered at 30 W for 90 s (energy = 2700 J and power density = 2.17 W/cm<sup>2</sup>) in a circumferential, non-contact manner using a balloon-assisted catheter. Real-time mucosal temperature monitoring was achieved using a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor integrated with the balloon, maintaining temperatures below 40 °C. Endoscopic ultrasound and manometry were used to evaluate LES thickness and pressure before and after treatment. After a 12-week observation period, esophageal tissues were harvested for histological and gene expression analysis. Compared to the control, the treated group showed an increase in LES thickness (3.6 ± 0.2 mm vs. 1.5 mm) and relative LES pressure changes (2.9 ± 1.6 vs. 0.6). Upregulation of fibrosis- and hypertrophy-related genes suggested structural remodeling of the LES. No adverse effects or mucosal injury were observed. These findings support EBLT as a promising and minimally invasive strategy for GERD treatment. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-e23d41004266466e871e9e7d05d8104e2025-08-20T03:14:42ZengMDPI AGPhotonics2304-67322025-04-0112542110.3390/photonics12050421Feasibility and Safety of Endoscopic Balloon-Assisted Laser Treatment (EBLT) for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Functional, Structural, and Gene Expression Analysis in Preclinical ModelBoram Cha0Hyejin Kim1Van Gia Truong2Sun-Ju Oh3Seok Jeong4Hyun Wook Kang5Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon 22332, Republic of KoreaTeCure, Inc., Busan 48548, Republic of KoreaTeCure, Inc., Busan 48548, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Pathology, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon 22332, Republic of KoreaTeCure, Inc., Busan 48548, Republic of KoreaGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent disorder caused by lower esophageal sphincter (LES) dysfunction, often requiring long-term treatment. This study assessed the feasibility of endoscopic balloon-assisted laser treatment (EBLT) using a porcine GERD model. One week after GERD induction, EBLT was performed on three animals, while one served as a control. A 980 nm continuous-wave laser was delivered at 30 W for 90 s (energy = 2700 J and power density = 2.17 W/cm<sup>2</sup>) in a circumferential, non-contact manner using a balloon-assisted catheter. Real-time mucosal temperature monitoring was achieved using a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor integrated with the balloon, maintaining temperatures below 40 °C. Endoscopic ultrasound and manometry were used to evaluate LES thickness and pressure before and after treatment. After a 12-week observation period, esophageal tissues were harvested for histological and gene expression analysis. Compared to the control, the treated group showed an increase in LES thickness (3.6 ± 0.2 mm vs. 1.5 mm) and relative LES pressure changes (2.9 ± 1.6 vs. 0.6). Upregulation of fibrosis- and hypertrophy-related genes suggested structural remodeling of the LES. No adverse effects or mucosal injury were observed. These findings support EBLT as a promising and minimally invasive strategy for GERD treatment.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/5/421gastroesophageal reflux diseasepreclinical modellaser |
| spellingShingle | Boram Cha Hyejin Kim Van Gia Truong Sun-Ju Oh Seok Jeong Hyun Wook Kang Feasibility and Safety of Endoscopic Balloon-Assisted Laser Treatment (EBLT) for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Functional, Structural, and Gene Expression Analysis in Preclinical Model Photonics gastroesophageal reflux disease preclinical model laser |
| title | Feasibility and Safety of Endoscopic Balloon-Assisted Laser Treatment (EBLT) for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Functional, Structural, and Gene Expression Analysis in Preclinical Model |
| title_full | Feasibility and Safety of Endoscopic Balloon-Assisted Laser Treatment (EBLT) for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Functional, Structural, and Gene Expression Analysis in Preclinical Model |
| title_fullStr | Feasibility and Safety of Endoscopic Balloon-Assisted Laser Treatment (EBLT) for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Functional, Structural, and Gene Expression Analysis in Preclinical Model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Feasibility and Safety of Endoscopic Balloon-Assisted Laser Treatment (EBLT) for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Functional, Structural, and Gene Expression Analysis in Preclinical Model |
| title_short | Feasibility and Safety of Endoscopic Balloon-Assisted Laser Treatment (EBLT) for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Functional, Structural, and Gene Expression Analysis in Preclinical Model |
| title_sort | feasibility and safety of endoscopic balloon assisted laser treatment eblt for gastroesophageal reflux disease functional structural and gene expression analysis in preclinical model |
| topic | gastroesophageal reflux disease preclinical model laser |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/5/421 |
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