In October 2013, the ISLA Research Group has been founded by two graduates of the Master´s Programme “International Development Studies” – Robert Weber, Lauenförde, and Martin Junggebauer, Braunschweig. It is recognized as a public charity and constitutes a subsidiary of the ISLA. It´s strives to contribute to one of the most important challenges of our time – to create a fair global health system and thereby open up new development perspectives for less developed countries that are based on improved health care systems. To achieve its goals, ISLA Research Group works hard to facilitate the application of medical laser therapy to tropical diseases such as Malaria and Tuberculosis, which constitute massive development obstacles for many countries and impair life quality of millions of people.

Treatments that aim to kill pathogens of tropical diseases can be conducted analogous to treatments that are already used in tumor therapy. For each disease, specific photosensitizers have to be identified. Afterwards, wavelengths and colour spectrums of the applicated light source need to be adjusted to the photosensitizer.

The identification of pathogen specific photosensitizers and optimal dosage ranges as well as of appropriate light sources is one of the major tasks that are pursued right now. In this context, pathogen specific photosensitizers for all major tropical diseases are known for years.

What inhibited the practical application so far?

Until recently, the procedure could only be performed in vitro because it wasn’t possible to activate the substance within the body.

Only since a couple of years, the new technology of intravenous lasertherapy facilitates the activation of photosensitizers within the body. The way to practically treat Malaria and other tropical diseases is thereby paved.

Since the research activities of ISLA Research Group are financed by donations everybody who wants to contribute to our work is very welcome.