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Photodynamic Therapy

Two photons are better than one

Over the past 20 years photodynamic therapy, a cell-killing technique where a photosensitizing drug is activated by carefully targeted visible light, has led to new therapies for cancer and other diseases. In doing so it has won support from scientists, clinicians and patients alike.

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Figure 1: Photodynamic therapy in practice.
Figure 2: This chronic leg ulcer had existed for 18 months and healed completely within 2 months of PDT.

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Competing interests

Stanley Brown is employed by Photopharmica, a small company developing photodynamic therapy for infection. The company has no current or planned interests in two-photon photodynamic therapy.

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Brown, S. Two photons are better than one. Nature Photon 2, 394–395 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2008.112

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2008.112

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