Photomedicine and Stem Cells : The Janus Face of Photodynamic Therapy Pdt to Kill Cancer Stem Cells, and Photobiomodulation Pbm to Stimulate Normal Stem Cells

Janus, the ancient Roman god depicted with two faces is an appropriate metaphor for light therapy. In the right photodynamic therapy conditions, light is able to kill nearly anything that is living such as cancers, microorganisms, parasites, and more. On the opposite face, light of the correct wavelength and proper dose (photobiomodulation) can heal, regenerate, protect, revitalize and restore any kind of dead, damaged, stressed, dying, degenerating cells, tissue, or organ system. This book discusses both sides of Janus' face in regards to light therapy.

Heidi Abrahamse PhD Wits, (Biochemistry, Molecular Biology), is currently the Director of the Laser Research Centre, University of Johannesburg and Department of Science and Technology / National Research Foundation SARChI Chair for Laser Applications in Health. Her research interests include, photobiology and photochemistry with specific reference to photodynamic cancer therapy, stem cell differentiation and wound healing. She has supervised 40 masters; 15 doctorates and 12 post-doctorate fellows and has published over 100 peer reviewed accredited journal publications, 42 accredited full paper proceedings and 11 chapters. She serves on the editorial boards of 8 peer-reviewed internationally accredited journals while acting as reviewer for over 30 journals. She is also the Co-Editor in Chief of the international accredited journal Photomedicine and Laser Surgery.

Michael R Hamblin PhD is a Principal Investigator at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, an Associate Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School and affiliated faculty at Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology. He received his PhD in organic chemistry from Trent University in England. He directs a laboratory of around a dozen scientists who work in photodynamic therapy and photobiomodulation. He has published 376 peer-reviewed articles, is Editor or Associate Editor for 10 journals and serves on NIH Study-Sections. He has an h-factor of 82 and >25,000 citations. He has authored/edited 11 proceedings volumes together with ten other major textbooks on PDT and photomedicine. Dr Hamblin was honored by election as a Fellow of SPIE in 2011, received the 1st Endre Mester Lifetime Achievement Award in Photomedicine from NAALT in 2017 and the Outstanding Career Award from the Dose Response Society in 2018.