Theranostic photosensitizers (Phosphorescence-guided surgery combined with photodynamic therapy)
Lead researcher
Research group
Funds Source:
Government of Catalonia
Period:
01/07/2022 to 01/07/2025
Project status:
ACTIVE
Funding:
144,300 €
Photodynamic therapy uses harmless light in live cells and animal to activate non- toxic photosensitive chemicals photosensitizers to generate cytotoxic species for malignant cell eradication (cancer cells, bacterial infections).
This project will explore the concept of theranostic agents to demonstrate its utility in the Photodynamic therapy (PDT) field and convince the medical community to include PDT as a common clinical treatment against a wide variety of diseases such as virus, bacterial or fungi infections and cancer.
The project is based on the concept that it should be possible to use the same light to induce the death of the cancer cells or pathogenic bacteria, and simultaneously measure the amount of ROS generated to avoid unnecessary damage to the surroundings tissues or visualize the remaining tumor cells after the surgery treatment to completely eradicate them. The resesarcher working in this Beatriu de Pinos Fellowship is Dr. Roger Bresolí under the supervision of Dr. Santi Nonell.
