DigiLum™ revolutionizes PDT with AI-driven photonics for precise light delivery and the selective photosensitizer 5-ALA to enhance cancer treatment options.
DISRUPTIVE PDT Technology
Our revolutionary DigiLum™ solution presents a new paradigm in PDT administration and effectiveness, combining advanced AI-driven photonics instrumentation with a next-generation photosensitizer agent. This powerful platform is readily adoptable to unlock the potential of PDT to treat a broader range of cancer sites and extend the benefits of this more tolerable therapy to a greater number of patients.
Our revolutionary DigiLum™ solution presents a new paradigm in PDT administration and effectiveness, combining advanced AI-driven photonics instrumentation with a next-generation photosensitizer agent. This powerful platform is readily adoptable to unlock the potential of PDT to treat a broader range of cancer sites and extend the benefits of this more tolerable therapy to a greater number of patients.
Closing The Loop on PDT Light Activation
Our photonics system is based on innovative optical surface applicator device technology demonstrated by Roswell Park Cancer Center that allows direct measurement of light interaction with target tissue. This enables automated, real-time light monitoring and closed loop control of PDT light delivery. Furthermore, this technology allows integration of multiple light emitter/detector fiber optics over a broad area to greatly reduce intraoperative PDT procedure time- from hours to minutes.
Our system sets a new benchmark of sophistication in PDT light administration through proprietary machine learning algorithms that factor target tissue optical properties and light propagation effects of different media in the procedure setting to deliver an unprecedented level of precision in PDT light dosimetry. Our DigiLum™ system represents the first true PDT light dosimetry system based on real-time data that is fully automated for ease of use, eliminating operator dependencies for repeatable, reliable clinical results.
5-Aminolevulinic Acid (5-ALA)- The Ideal Photosensitizer
While our DigiLum™ system can be designed to activate any photosensitizer, our focus is on use of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), a next generation photosensitizer with a known safety profile that is highly selective to tumor tissue for minimum off-target effects with negligible post-procedure phototoxicity- 24 hours compared to 30+ day of the current approved agent used in lung cancer. It offers a short time between drug administration and light activation that is more amenable to surgical procedure workflows.
Marketed in the US as Gleolan™, it is currently approved in 42 countries as an imaging agent for fluorescence-guided glioma surgery. Gleolan™ presents the unique potential beyond imaging to also be used as a therapeutic agent, enabling intraoperative “see and treat” applications during surgical procedures.
Closing The Loop on PDT Light Activation
Our photonics system is based on innovative optical surface applicator device technology demonstrated by Roswell Park Cancer Center that allows direct measurement of light interaction with target tissue. This enables automated, real-time light monitoring and closed loop control of PDT light delivery. Furthermore, this technology allows integration of multiple light emitter/detector fiber optics over a broad area to greatly reduce intraoperative PDT procedure time- from hours to minutes.
Our system sets a new benchmark of sophistication in PDT light administration through proprietary machine learning algorithms that factor target tissue optical properties and light propagation effects of different media in the procedure setting to deliver an unprecedented level of precision in PDT light dosimetry. Our DigiLum™ system represents the first true PDT light dosimetry system based on real-time data that is fully automated for ease of use, eliminating operator dependencies for repeatable, reliable clinical results.
5-Aminolevulinic Acid (5-ALA)- The Ideal Photosensitizer
While our DigiLum™ system can be designed to activate any photosensitizer, our focus is on use of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), a next generation photosensitizer with a known safety profile that is highly selective to tumor tissue for minimum off-target effects with negligible post-procedure phototoxicity- 24 hours compared to 30+ day of the current approved agent used in lung cancer. It offers a short time between drug administration and light activation that is more amenable to surgical procedure workflows.
Marketed in the US as Gleolan™, it is currently approved in 42 countries as an imaging agent for fluorescence-guided glioma surgery. Gleolan™ presents the unique potential beyond imaging to also be used as a therapeutic agent, enabling intraoperative “see and treat” applications during surgical procedures.
Endogenous PplX
Cancer cells that have absorbed excess amounts of 5-ALA are unable to produce herme properly and accumulate PplX in cell mitochondrion, where it can be exploited by illumination for diagnostic PPD (blue light-fluorescence) or therapeutic PDT (red light-reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.
5-ALA is produced naturally in the body and processed into protoporphyrin IX (PplX), a powerful photosensitizer used in heme synthesis.
Sourch: Mischkulnig et al.2022 Dol 10.3389/med2022.907442
Mitochondria-targeted PDT is considered highly efficient in cell killing and can induce multiple signal transduction passways and effector responses, making it ideal for immunogenic PDT.
5-ALA/Endogenous PplX offers higher selectivity to disease tissue and minimum phototoxicity (<24hr) compared to other photosensitizers.
