Author Archives: Modulight Content

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Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – February 2022

March 2, 2022 by Modulight Content
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   Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – February 2022 Photocure’s blue light cystoscopy is a routine procedure in the management of bladder cancer as it results in better tumor visualization and removal. However, this study found that the positive effects of blue light cystoscopy could extend beyond visualization and result in the induction of systemic antitumor immunity, which can be further boosted with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Modulight nominated this study because bladder cancer is highly recurring and progressive disease with more than 200,000 deaths worldwide annually. Thus, Continue reading →

Light-based enhancement of vaccination in humans

December 20, 2021 by Modulight Content
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  Motivation Vaccines should activate all branches of immunity, including T cells and antibody responses, for generating a strong immune response. For therapeutic cancer vaccines, it is especially important to induce strong cytotoxic T-cell responses, since cytotoxic T-cells are the most potent immune cells for killing cancer cells. While cytotoxic T-cells can often be induced  with viral vector and nucleic acid-based vaccines, peptide-based vaccines often induce only weak cytotoxic T-cell responses . When peptide antigens are taken up into antigen presenting cells, they are generally Continue reading →Customer case PCI Biotech is a biopharmaceutical company located in Norway. They are developing a novel light-based technology called photochemical internalization (PCI) that has potential to enhance delivery and efficacy of many types of therapies, including certain chemotherapies, peptide vaccines, and nucleic acid therapies. It can also decrease side effects due to improved spatiotemporal control of the treatment. The technology is currently in a pivotal clinical study for the treatment of inoperable bile duct cancer where PCI with gemcitabine is combined with standard gemcitabine/cisplatin chemotherapy. Continue reading →

Optimizing photosensitizer administration for cancer therapy

December 11, 2021 by Modulight Content
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  Motivation While Photofrin PDT is an approved oncological therapy for multiple indications, its wider use is hindered by prolonged skin photosensitivity lasting several weeks. The aim of this study is to investigate intratumoral Photofrin administration as a way to decrease skin photosensitivity compared to the standard IV injection protocol. Tumor necrosis after PDT was assessed with immunohistochemical staining and Photofrin distributions by fluorescence microscopy.       Results   Anti-tumor efficacy was similar between intratumoral and IV administration; however, smaller doses of Photofrin were Continue reading →Customer case University of Rochester belongs among the nation’s top research universities. Research at the Baran lab focuses on anti-microbial PDT and optical image processing. The aim is to develop methods for utilizing quantitative information from CT, MR and PET imaging for PDT treatment planning as well as in the search of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Modulight products: ML7710 (630 & 665 nm) Link to the study: Timothy M. Baran (Ph.D., PI) Laser use: Ongoing clinical Phase 1 safety & feasibility study for methylene Continue reading →

Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – November 2021

December 7, 2021 by Modulight Content
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     Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – November 2021 Dr. Aaron Sorrin and researchers at the University of Maryland found a new potential combination therapy for ovarian cancer. This combination includes a novel light-based technology, called photodynamic priming, and a targeted therapeutic against a specific cancer cell receptor, effectively suppressing invasion of cancer cells. Modulight’s scientific board wanted to highlight this research especially because novel therapeutic solutions are urgently needed against this aggressive disease, which despite the best possible current therapies, recurs in most patients leading to Continue reading →

Optimized light delivery in pancreatic cancer

November 10, 2021 by Modulight Content
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Motivation for the study Efficient light delivery to the whole tumor is one of the main aspects of phototherapy. The efficacy of phototherapy has been demonstrated for several cancers via superficial illumination. Interstitial illumination could enhance light delivery deeper inside the tumor and potentially result in more effective tumor eradication. Hence, the aim of this study is to compare if the therapeutic efficacy of phototherapy is dependent on the light delivery strategies.   Results Phototherapy (PT) with both superficial and interstitial illumination methods efficiently eradicated Continue reading →Customer case University of California at Irvine (UCI), founded in 1965, is a Top 10 public university in USA. It is recognized for cutting-edge and innovative scientific research. Modulight products: ML7710 (689 nm) Laser use: Targeted phototherapy studies with photo-immunoconjugates Link to the study: Nzola De Magalhães, Adjunct Assistant Professor   Motivation for the study Efficient light delivery to the whole tumor is one of the main aspects of phototherapy. The efficacy of phototherapy has been demonstrated for several cancers via superficial illumination. Interstitial illumination could Continue reading →

Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – October 2021

November 1, 2021 by Modulight Content
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   Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – October 2021 This time we wanted to highlight Professor Tebello Nyokong’s team at Rhodes University, since their latest research tackles two big unmet needs in cancer therapy: tumor hypoxia and side effects of the drugs. The team designed multifunctional liposomes that can locally generate oxygen within tumors to alleviate hypoxia, which is a significant contributor to resistance to radio- and chemotherapies. These nanodrugs also hold the potential to reduce problematic side effects of standard cancer therapies as a result of Continue reading →

Light penetration depth in brain with different photosensitizers

October 28, 2021 by Modulight Content
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  Motivation for the study Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and lethal brain cancer with an average prognosis of 15 months. Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) for glioblastoma was FDA-approved in 2017, while photodynamic therapy (PDT) remains an active area of clinical investigation with very promising results so far. The aim of PDT is to eradicate the invasive cancer cells within 2 cm of the resected area where the glioblastoma most often recurs. However, a significant hurdle of this therapy modality is the limited light penetration depth Continue reading →Customer case Research by: University of Maryland, Optical Therapeutics & Nanotechnology Laboratory led by Prof. Huang. Research focuses on precision cancer nanomedicine, drug delivery strategies, overcoming cancer resistance, mechanism-based combination therapies, site-directed photochemistry and fluorescence diagnostics. Modulight has started a joint R&D program with Dr. Huang lab to study novel EGFR-targeted combination therapy/diagnostic agent PIC-Nal-IRI developed by Huang lab. Modulight products: ML6600 laser system (635 nm and 689 nm). Professor Huang-Chiao Huang Laser use: Targeted photodynamic therapy/photoimmunotherapy with benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD) & 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) photosensitizers. Continue reading →

Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – September 2021

October 1, 2021 by Modulight Content
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 Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – September 2021 Laser-Sharp Research nomination goes to this month for Professor Kobayashi’s team and Dr. Noriko Sato’s team at National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, USA. Their research published in a prestigious Cancer Research journal showed that photoimmunotherapy can not only target tumor cells, but can also be harnessed to target body’s own tumor-promoting immune cells within the tumor. These special cells called intratumoral Tregs were selectively killed by photoimmunotherapy upon illumination with ML7710 laser, which led to activation Continue reading →

Multimodal imaging microscope for tissue engineering applications

September 14, 2021 by Modulight Content
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  Motivation for the study Tissue engineering is an evolving field of medicine that aims to grow new viable tissue for repairing or regenerating damaged tissues in the body. These tissue constructs are typically made by placing cells in support matrices that have proper growth-inducing factors. However, visualizing the development and composition of these tissue constructs is challenging with currently available optical imaging methods: they are either not capable of producing 3D images at sufficient depth or lack the bright-field imaging functionality. To answer this Continue reading →Customer case Research by: Computational biophysics and imaging research group at Tampere University. Research topics include development of bioimaging, analysis and biophysics based in-silico tools for new personalized treatments and diagnostics. Modulight products: ML6600 (488, 561, and 635 nm) Laser use: Light source for in-house built multimodal 3D imaging microscope used for imaging tissue engineering processes and products.   Professor Jari Hyttinen     Link to the study:   Toni Montonen, Doctoral Researcher     Motivation for the study Tissue engineering is an evolving field of Continue reading →

Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – August 2021

September 1, 2021 by Modulight Content
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 Modulight Spotlights: LASER-SHARP RESEARCH – August 2021 Modulight would like to congratulate Dr. Sabrina Oliveira and members of the Molecular Targeted Therapies research group at Utrecht University on their recent work published in Nanophotonics journal. They have developed nanobody-targeted phototherapy for feline oral carcinoma with high potency and specificity towards oral cancer cells. This is an important step towards treating cats with oral cancers for which there are currently no effective therapeutic options available in the veterinary clinics. This type of research overall is critical Continue reading →