OPTICAL BIOPSIES: THERMAL INFRARED AND VISIBLE FLUORESCENT IMAGES FROM NORMAL AND CANCEROUS TISSUES. PHOTODYNAMIC DIAGNOSTIC AND PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY

ALBANESI, ESTELA I.; GARAVAGLIA, MARIO; MARÍA EUGENIA ETCHEVERRY; POTECA, HORACIO; CORTI, AGUSTINA; PASQUALE, MIGUEL ANGEL

La Plat

Workshop; IMAGING TECHNIQUES FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS WORKSHOP; 2016

Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.

Abstract. Our present work is based on previous experiences that have been started since 1979 in the medical area where ionizing and optical radiations were employed, and taking into account all the modern optics knowledge related with the development of surgeries, treatments and diagnostics. Physicians, physicists, chemists, biochemists, biologists, veterinarians, engineers, dentists, and other professionals have participated and collaborated with us along the time.In the last three years we used Thermal IR and Visible natural or induced fluorescence images in cancer detection and infectious diseases. Also, fluorescence data emission spectra from normal affected tissue were compared. Specifically, in the few analyzed cases of DNA-HPV+ patients, we observed in all of their fluorescence spectra the same type of relevant peaks. All these technical procedures are called ?Optical Biopsies?. The in-situ fluorescence is related with biochemical and molecular properties of patient tissues. Then, by comparing the fluorescence spectra of healthy tissue and infected tissue we can infer that, for instance, some HPV genotype is present. Comparative observations of the natural fluorescence spectra of a possible suspicious colposcopic area and a neighbor healthy area allow us to make a triage, that we named Screening Óptico (ScOp®) (Part in English and part in Spanish). ScOp® study would be innovative in the field of gynecology, infectology, and oncology since it is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure to explore tissues (skin and mucous membranes) several millimeters in depth. Then, the ScOp® as well as the colposcopy produced the same results in terms of "lesion location" but ScOp®, in addition, will provide information on the active neoplastic process in situ. Finally, it should be mentioned that the diagnosis result by ScOp® can be significantly enhanced by the administration of specific photosensitizers whose molecules will be introduced into neoplastic cells and produce a more intense fluorescent emission when they are illuminated by light of the appropriate wavelength. This procedure is called Photodynamic Diagnostic (PDD). The latter allows the eventual Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) application, for instance, in HPV related lesions, as in the case of head and neck, lung, esophagus, bladder tumors.