Biophotonics and Immune Responses XX

Immunological responses are crucial in the treatment of diseases. Phototherapy (photothermal, photochemical, and photomechanical), often used in conjunction with immunotherapy, has shown promise in stimulating and enhancing host immune systems. Recently, many researchers have started human clinical studies using photo-immunotherapy. This conference will provide a forum for discussion and interaction among people from academia, industry, and health professions who are working in this area. It will serve as a bridge between technology development and clinical applications, in the field of phototherapy-related immune activities.

This conference will focus on induction, enhancement, mechanisms, and detection of immune responses induced by phototherapy and combination modalities. It will specifically address the issue of searching for an effective immunological modality for different diseases, ranging from autoimmune diseases to cancer, using optical methods. It will also address the issue of detecting immune activities, using modern technologies such as molecular and cellular imaging, as well as other imaging modalities. It will also include research using different combinations of treatment and detection modalities, novel approaches for stimulations of systemic responses, innovative methods in monitoring and guiding photo-immunotherapy, and immunological responses related to nanotechnology-based phototherapeutics and diagnosis.

Preliminary session topics include:

• immunophotonics in diagnostics and therapeutics
• tumor immunophotonics
• neuroimmunophotonics
• novel combination therapy
• photo-nano-immunotherapy
• image-guided immunotherapy
• novel technologies in monitoring immune activities
• local and systemic effects of phototherapy
• probes and sensors for immune response
• molecular imaging for immune responses
• light-induced vaccination.