Background and study aims: Low dose photodynamic therapy (LDPDT) may modify the mucosal immune response and may thus provide a therapy for Crohn's disease. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of this technique in a murine T cell-mediated colitis model. Methods: The safety of LDPDT was first tested in BALB/c mice. Nave T cells were used to induce colitis in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency, which were followed up endoscopically, and a murine endoscopic index of colitis (MEIC) was developed. The efficacy of LDPDT (10 J/cm(2); delta-aminolevulinic acid, 15 mg/kg bodyweight) was then tested on mice with moderate colitis, while a disease control group received no treatment. The MEIC, weight, length, and histology of the colon, cytokine expression indices, number of mucosal CD4(+) T cells, percentage of apoptotic CD4(+) T cells, body weight, and systemic side effects were evaluated. Results: LDPDT improved the MEIC (P = 0.011) and the histological score (P = 0.025), diminished the expression indices of the proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 (P = 0.042), interleukin-17 (P = 0.029), and interferon-gamma (P = 0.014), decreased the number of mucosal CD4(+) T cells, and increased the percentage of apoptotic CD4(+) T cells compared with the disease control group. No local or systemic side effects occurred. Conclusion: LDPDT improves murine T cell-mediated colitis, decreases the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6, interleukin-17, and interferon-gamma, and decreases the number of CD4(+) T cells. No adverse events were observed. Therefore, this technique is now being evaluated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.