Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment with a long and successful clinical track record for oncology and non-malignancies. It is increasingly being used for aesthetic treatments, and in particular, for face rejuvenation. There are also basic and clinical studies in the field of antimicrobial PDT.
A cancer treatment protocol involves the introduction of a photosensitizing agent into the body, which can be administered intravenously, orally, or topically. Once the photosensitizer has preferentially accumulated in the tumor region, it is exposed to light of the appropriate wavelength and intensity. The photodynamic reaction produces an active form of oxygen that destroys nearby tumor cells and neovasculature. In addition, there are indications that this process may stimulate an immune response to attack tumor cells.
The FDA and regulatory agencies in other counties have approved a number of photosensitizers for use in PDT. A table below shows a list of photosensitizers that have been developed to date; the list is growing, as new photosensitizers are being developed to improve the effectiveness of PDT and to expand it to other conditions.
Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy
Each photosensitizer requires a specific wavelength and intensity of light for its activation. However, the penetration of light into a tissue is rather limited. A blue light will penetrate tissue to less than 1mm, while light with a wavelength from 650nm to 1350nm, can travel for more than 1cm in a human body. Therefore, the choice of wavelengths of light can influence the depth and volume of treatment. While blue light is often employed for epithelial cancer treatment and cutaneous procedures, it is not suitable for solid tumors. Red and infrared light, on the other hand, can be employed for bulky tumors. Therefore, there is no universal light source for every PDT protocol. Each photosensitizer requires a specific light source for optimal performance. An additional consideration is the uniformity of the laser light exposure within tumor tissue, as successful tumor ablation ultimately requires a precision amount of light energy to activate enough photosensitizer for lesion destruction.
Lasers are the most common sources of light for PDT. Diode lasers can be manufactured to output light with the wavelength corresponding to the absorption peak of the particular photosensitizer and with the required power.
At AKELA Lasers, we offer a wide range of multi-mode fiber coupled laser diode modules for PDT. They are available for every wavelength used in PDT with output power up to 10 watts. Our multi-wavelengths modules can be configured to work with multiple photosensitizers. We also offer a turn-key system that can deliver 4 different wavelengths. It is equipped with a sophisticated light delivery hardware, which provides unmatched uniformity of irradiation and exposure control. This innovation allows for a more uniform calculation of light dose for therapy, particularly for multicenter clinical trials where uniform treatment time was critical to assessing outcomes and morbidity.