PHOTOTHERAPORT project partners in Riga discuss the latest advances in light-based therapy technologies

On 28 and 29 October 2026, the final consortium meeting of the PHOTOTHERAPORT project, Luminescent implants as ports for light-based therapy, funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder Open programme, took place in Riga at the National Research and Innovation Institute, bringing together the project’s international partners.

As the project approaches its conclusion on 31 December 2026, the partners met to review the results achieved so far, discuss the work to be completed during the final stage of the project, and explore opportunities to continue the research beyond the project’s end.

The aim of PHOTOTHERAPORT is to develop innovative light-based therapeutic approaches that could, in the future, enable precise control of therapeutic effects at specific sites in the body. To this end, the project is developing biocompatible light-emitting implants, known as PhotoTheraPorts, and photoswitchable drugs whose effects can be activated and controlled using light. The potential of these technologies is being investigated in the context of treating inflammation, neuropathic pain and epilepsy.

The project is being carried out by an international consortium of eight partners, bringing together expertise in materials science, photonics, chemical and cell biology, and neuroscience.

The research team at Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) is conducting studies using brain tissue samples, analysing the expression and localisation of sodium ion channel molecules. Both rodent and human brain tissue samples are used to evaluate the effects of photoswitchable drugs and identify potentially important brain regions for the further development of therapeutic approaches. At the consortium meeting, the RSU team presented its research progress and findings.

During the meeting, the partners also discussed the dissemination of project results, intellectual property matters and opportunities for future collaboration.

The PHOTOTHERAPORT project runs from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026. Its implementation supports the development of new scientific solutions and international collaboration, laying the groundwork for future treatment approaches that could provide more precise and patient-tailored therapeutic effects.

For more information please visit the project PHOTOTHERAPORT page and the official project website.