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Home > Background
 Background
PDT has an established niche in the treatment of certain cancers and in age related macular degeneration (AMD), which is a common cause of visual impairment in the over-50’s. However, PDT’s clinical development and use have been slow to evolve owing mainly to the technical limitations of existing approaches; specifically the therapeutic margin, which is the ratio of effective dose to toxic dose, and the ability to target and then illuminate tumour tissues, which may be difficult to access. The main toxicity arising from current PDT is post-treatment systemic photosensitivity. The photosensitising agent remains in the system for up to six weeks post treatment in some cases, and when it reaches the skin, patients can become exquisitely photosensitive to ambient light even on cloudy days, leading to symptoms akin to acute sunburn in uncovered parts of the body.
 PhotoBiotics uniquely targeted approach to PDT will ensure the photosensitising agent specifically localises only in pathological tissues. This will greatly improve PDT’s therapeutic margin, drastically reducing photosensitivity and therefore allow for its more effective use in a wide range of cancers and AMD. It will also enable PDTs wider application in indications such as microbial infections, restenosis following angioplasty, and various proliferative skin conditions.
PhotoBiotics believes its unusually distinctive and multidisciplinary approach to PDT has the potential to offer strikingly improved treatment regimes that could replace conventional PDT and significantly extend its market penetration. Relatively few organisations worldwide have the skills to develop PDT technology, and PhotoBiotics is highly distinctive in possessing an integrated capability involving chemistry, laser physics and biology. The science is challenging and is delivering on its promise in a series of successful in vitro and in vivo trials. The founders have already established successful research collaborations. Accordingly PhotoBiotics will seek to align itself with other PDT and market focussed companies in cancer, ophthalmics and other markets researching, discovering and developing improved therapeutic modalities.
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