Photochemistry in medical diagnostics

Abstract

Photochemicals play a leading role in the diagnosis of disease, being widely used in assays of whole cells, of protein levels and in genetic analysis. This chapter looks at a number of selected examples of photochemical diagnostics, aiming to give an overview of the principles of their use through case studies of the techniques most commonly employed within the clinical setting. These cover blood based diagnostics, fluorescence assays using immunochemistry and the photochemical analysis of DNA. The chapter concludes with a look to the future and consideration of the role of novel nanocrystal photochemicals in the burgeoning field of Nanomedicine.