The Laser Technology: New Trends in Biology and Medicine

Abstract

In fifty years, laser technology has made great progress, and its many applications make it essential in everyday life. However, this technology is still open to numerous developments. Across multiple applications, there is particular focus in the field of medicine, for diagnosis for tailored therapies, and as a research tool in biology. Whereas its use is now well-demonstrated in ophthalmologic and dermatologic treatments, and surgery, one of the most fascinating aspects of laser technology in the field of biology emerged in the late 1990s with the development of devices able to perform fine dissections of biological tissues using a laser beam. The so-called laser-associated microdissection offers a rapid, precise method of isolating and removing targeted cells or groups of cells from complex biological tissues. It represents the missing link between clinical observations and the intrinsic physiological mechanisms of biological tissues. The molecular examination of pathologically altered cells and tissues for DNA, RNA, and protein expression has revolutionized research and diagnosis in pathology, enabling assessment of the role of the cell type in the normal physiological or disease process. Alongside conventional diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, another field of application contribute to the development of targeted treatments at the nanoscale level of laser technology, mainly in the field of cancer, leading to design new and innovative strategies in drug delivery and image-guided surgery. Most of these approaches, but although not exhaustively, will be presented here.