From Photosynthesis to Cancer Therapy

27-28 May 2018 A Symposium in Honor of Avigdor Scherz 70^th Birthday

Illumination of chlorophylls within protein complexes of the photosynthetic machinery generates spatially and temporally confined radicals that drive synthesis of carbohydrates and thereby, life on earth. Illumination of chlorophylls outside of the photosynthetic milieu generates radicals that are often destructive. Similar radicals are leveraged in plants and animals to eradicate malfunctioning tissues and organs. If considering tumors as organs, it was thought that novel chlorophyll constructs adjusted to the animal milieu may provide a new means for tumor destruction and cancer therapy. This hypothesis motivated the long and multidimensional walk from photosynthesis to the novel cancer therapy termed “Vascular-Targeted Photodynamic Therapy”. Avigdor’s 70^th birthday celebration provides an opportunity to recount the milestones of the road taken, and update on recent relevant findings in cancer therapy and photosynthesis, academy-industry-medical community interactions and new translational and technological opportunities.