Call for Papers

The number of optical techniques for monitoring cancer therapies and diagnosis has blossomed over the last several decades, and significant advancements are being made in the biophotonics community in the development of technologies, as well as their application towards the most important basic science questions and clinical unmet needs. New developments that provide increased imaging depth, new contrasts, and real-time feedback are enabling, among other things, the evaluation of cutting-edge therapies such as targeted agents, immunotherapies, radiation treatment, phototherapies, and others. Additionally, biophotonic techniques are uncovering and characterizing novel aspects of cancer biology, yielding insights that could shape future treatments. This special section will compile papers addressing these topics, reflecting the current state of biophotonics in oncology and cancer biology, and highlighting emerging trends and future directions.

Manuscripts solicited from authors include:

• Results from clinical studies
• Preclinical work
• Basic science of cancer therapeutics or cancer development
• Tumor spheroid and organoid work
• Cancer immune and photo therapies
• Works that leverage advancements in imaging and spectroscopy techniques that include, but are not limited to:
  • Photoacoustics
  • Diffuse optical imaging and spectroscopy
  • Optical coherence tomography
  • Clinical endogenous and exogenous fluorescence imaging
  • Computational imaging
  • Nonlinear microscopy
  • UV excitation imaging
  • Nano-based detection and therapeutics
  • Brillouin microscopy

All papers will undergo the standard peer-review process for Biophotonics Discovery. Manuscripts should be submitted to SPIE according to the journal guidelines. A cover letter indicating that the submission is intended for this special section should be included. Note that papers are published as soon as they are accepted for publication and final proofs are approved.

Skin tone can substantially alter optical measurements in ways that have only recently begun to be recognized and rigorously characterized. A prominent example of this was the recognition during the COVID pandemic that pulse oximetry had overestimated peripheral saturation in hypoxemic patients with darker skin tones. Skin tone can affect the extraction of tissue chromophores, oxygen saturation, signal-to-noise ratio, depth penetration, and other important measurement factors, all of which require careful consideration. Furthermore, each of these factors differ in their dependence on the measurement modality, optical contrast, measurement geometry, wavelength, body site, algorithms used, and others. Finally, there are differing ways to characterize and quantify skin tone, and the field has not yet identified consensus best practices. This special section will compile papers that focus on these and related issues, reflecting the current state of the biophotonics community while highlighting future directions.

Manuscript topics solicited from authors include:

• Clinical study results, e.g., disparities in biophotonic system performance
• Preclinical investigations
• Computational modeling and simulations
• Basic science of melanin and skin optical properties
• Optical assessment of skin pigmentation, including colorimetry
• Tissue-simulating phantoms and test methods
• Methods for mitigation of skin tone variation effects
• Regulatory considerations and standardization
• Works that leverage advancements in imaging and spectroscopy techniques to address skin tone that include, but are not limited to: 
  • Pulse oximetry
  • Tissue and cerebral oximetry
  • Photoplethysmography and wearables
  • Photoacoustics
  • Diffuse optical imaging and spectroscopy
  • Endogenous and exogenous fluorescence imaging
  • Optical coherence tomography
  • Confocal and nonlinear microscopy
  • Computational imaging
  • Optical therapeutics

All papers will undergo the standard peer-review process for Biophotonics Discovery. Manuscripts should be submitted to SPIE according to the journal guidelines. A cover letter indicating that the submission is intended for this special section should be included. Note that papers are published as soon as they are accepted for publication and final proofs are approved.