Photodynamic Therapy: Killing cancer gently with visible light

Abstract

Photodynamic Therapy: Killing cancer gently with visible light Drs. Mary Potasek, Evgueni Parilov, and Karl Beeson, who are all co-founders of Simphotek, Inc have been using a novel therapeutic modality known as Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) to treat cancer, with far fewer side effects than traditional radiation x-ray methods. By using near-infrared or “gentle” visible light, this PDT does not cause nausea as chemotherapy does, does not damage ordinary tissue as x-ray radiation does, nor does it require removing or damaging parts of the body as surgery does. Simphotek has been supported by the United States National Institute of Health (NIH) to create such a simulation research tool for solid cancers and it’s called Dosie™. Dosie is the first comprehensive tool to simulate the PDT process including the light transport, drug, and molecular oxygen interactions to create the cytotoxic agent, singlet oxygen, which kills cancer. The goal is to treat a tumor’s greatest volume with the least exposure to the major blood vessels or other sensitive areas, which the researchers hope that this clinical trial will bring them one step closer to their aim of treating patients as safely and effectively as possible.