Tookad, a light-activated drug, has been shown to shrink prostate tumors by 84 percent, and in 46 per cent of the cases -- the cancer was gone. The photodynamic therapy is based on an anti-cancer drug that becomes toxic when exposed to light. The drug is injected into the blood stream and once it reaches its target, doctors shine a light on the tumor using catheter-inserted optical fibers. The drug destroys the illuminated blood vessels, choking the blood supply and starving the cancer of nutrients without damaging surrounding healthy tissue.

The vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy was developed by Avigdor Scherz and Yoram Solomon, biochemists at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Scherz explained that the process in photosynthesis of chlorophyll, which results in a plant being green, is the same process in how the anti-cancer drug works. Tookad is a Hebrew word suggesting the warmth of light.  Researchers believe if Tookad continues to show promise in clinical trials, it could be an effective way to treat cancerous tumors without the need for surgery. They are currently seeking prostate cancer patients for phase-three clinical trials.

Art credit: Chlorophyll Fractal Art courtesy of Sven Geier