This is a recording of a LIVE webinar presented by Marvin Xavierselvan, Ph.D. student in the integrated Biofunctional Imaging and Therapeutics Lab (iBIT) at Tufts University on January 25th, 2022.
Head and neck cancers typically have poor response to radiation and chemotherapy due to the hypoxic nature of the tumors. Less aggressive, theranostic treatment options are being explored to ameliorate treatment response and improve patient quality of life. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an example of a theranostic technique that utilizes light to activate photosensitizing agents at the site of a tumor to damage the tissue. The activation of photosensitizers depend on oxygen availability within the tissue, therefore, PDT is less effective for hypoxic tumors. In order to render the PDT more effective, new options for delivering oxygen along with the photosensitizers were explored in this webinar.
Topics discussed in this webinar include:
- Developing a nano-platform for delivering oxygen
- Real-time quantification of tumor oxygen with photoacoustic imaging
- Enhancement of PDT efficacy by the oxygenated nanodroplets
- Q&A Session