Biophotonics in Disease Diagnosis and Therapy

Biophotonics is the multidisciplinary domain of science that uses light, in the visible and near-visible range, to study biological materials. Most biological tissues are sensitive to light, and these interactions can be harnessed for their imaging, detection, and manipulation. With the advent of advanced lasers, optics, spectroscopy, and microscopy tools, biophotonics find widespread application in biological and clinical research. Here, we provide an overview of how the field has expanded in the area of disease diagnosis and therapy with particular emphasis on label-free harmonic generation imaging microscopy, label-free multiphoton fluorescence imaging microscopy, spectroscopy, and tomography tools for clinical use. We have discussed, in brief, the fundamentals and principles behind each of the biophotonics method, the specific advantages and disadvantages of the tools, and the latest development in its use for improving diagnosis and therapy of various disease conditions. We intend to motivate the readers to draw inspiration for research, development, and translation of biophotonics to address the unmet clinical needs of humanity.