Keynote Speakers
Tayyaba Hasan Ph.D.
Harvard Medical School, Massachusettes
Can the new understanding of photodynamic mechanisms overcome existing challenges in therapeutics? (tentative)
Abstract coming later
Kristian Berg Ph.D.
Oslo University Hospital, Norway
Photochemical internalization (PCI) – a photodynamic drug delivery technology for treatment of solid tumors
ABSTRACT: Photochemical internalisation (PCI) is a novel technology for release of endocytosed macromolecules into the cytosol. The technology is based on the use of photosensitizers located in endocytic vesicles that upon activation by light induce rupture of the endocytic vesicles and thereby release of the macromolecules into the cytosol. PCI has been shown to enhance the biological activity of a large variety of macromolecules and other molecules that do not readily penetrate the plasma membrane, including type I ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), gene-encoding plasmids, adenovirus, oligonucleotides and some chemotherapeutic agent, such as bleomycin. Novel recombinant protein toxins have been developed for activation by PCI. The PCI treatment has been found to induce vascular shutdown and strong inflammatory effects that may be utilized to stimulate anti-tumor immunity and cancer vaccination. An update on the development of the PCI technology towards preclinical evaluation and clinical implementation will be presented.
Brian W. Pogue Ph.D.
Department of Medical Physics, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, University of Wisconsin
Intersections of Medical Physics with Photodynamic Physics for Advanced Diagnostics & Therapy
ABSTRACT: Photodynamic therapy has been implemented in the clinic with attempts that parallel radiotherapy and image guidance. The field of clinical medical physics intersects with the needs of photodynamic therapy, in the areas of diagnostic imaging, dosimetry approach, and response monitoring. Similarly, in parallel the fields of photodynamic therapy and diagnosis can be a benefit to mainstream clinical therapeutics through optical image guidance by fluorescence or oxygen imaging tools. These points of intersection will be reviewed and key emerging areas outlined for future research and commercial development.
Tim Maisch Ph.D.
Department of Dermatology University Hospital Regensburg
Photoantimicrobial therapy – what we know and what we do not know
ABSTRACT: During the last 10 years, WHO, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the European Commission, G7 Summit, and national governments among industrialized countries have finally acknowledged the seriousness of antimicrobial drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative treatment methods against resistant pathogens. This talk will aim to provide an overview about the history of photoantimicrobial therapy, its fundamental photochemical and photophysical mechanisms as well as new photoantimicrobials and light sources that are currently applied for photoantimicrobial therapy against pathogens in vitro and in vivo.
Confirmed invited speakers
Kenneth Wang, Mayo Clinic, USA
Mladen Korbelik, BC Cancer Agency, Canada,
Xiuli Wang, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, China,
Myung-Gyu Choi, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, South Korea
Elena Filonenko, Herzen Cancer Research Institute, Moscow, Russia
Gal Shafirstein, Roswell Park, Cancer Centre, Buffalo, USA
Brian Wilson, University of Toronto, Canada
Ed Maytin, Cleveland Clinics, USA
Mathias Senge, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Mariette Pereira, University of Coimbra, Portugal