▲ (From left) Professor Jung-Hoon Park from the Department of Convergence Medicine and Professor Do Hoon Kim from the Division of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment method in which a photosensitizer is injected into the bloodstream and activated by laser light at a specific wavelength to destroy targeted cells. A research team led by Professor Jung-Hoon Park from the Department of Convergence Medicine and Professor Do Hoon Kim from the Division of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center has recently developed a novel PDT catheter that enables localized treatment of esophageal cancer, improving upon existing PDT techniques.

The team directly coated the photosensitizer (Al-PcS4) that was previously administered through the bloodstream, onto a stent for targeted, localized application to lesions. A transparent laser delivery channel was also integrated into the stent to ensure even light distribution. Furthermore, the stent was designed for immediate removal post-treatment, minimizing the risk of complications such as perforation or bleeding associated with long-term stent placement.

This research was supported by a Consolidator Grant under the Personal Basic Research Project, administered by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea. The findings were recently published in the international journal ‘Biomaterials.’