Animal Models for Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy

A prerequisite for starting a clinical trial is evidence of a positive impact of the technique or drug in animals. The choice of the animal model is thus very important and should mimic as closely as possible the human situation. A variety of animal models have been validated for pharmaceutical trials. The situation in phototheranostics however is not fully clear. This is due to the very complex interplay of various elements such as vascularization, oxygenation, drug availability and biodistribution, light absorption, and scattering. The present paper will give general information on aspects of animal models that have to be considered in phototheranostics, as well as highlight some typical animal models that are useful for the investigation of light-tissue interactions.