| Features: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is primarily known for its role as a biosynthetic precursor to heme 5-ALA — 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-aminolevulinic acid; often administered as the hydrochloride salt) is an endogenous, small-molecule heme biosynthesis precursor used clinically as a pro-photosensitizer for tumor visualization and, when paired with an appropriate light source, photodynamic therapy (PDT). It is formally a drug/prodrug modality whose functional identity is to drive intracellular accumulation of the fluorescent porphyrin protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), enabling fluorescence-guided resection (notably high-grade glioma) and light-activated cytotoxicity in appropriately illuminated tissues. Standard abbreviations include 5-ALA, ALA; the key active photochemical mediator is PpIX. Tumor selectivity is primarily metabolic (differential porphyrin/heme pathway handling), rather than target-receptor binding, and clinical performance is strongly constrained by light penetration and local oxygen availability. Primary mechanisms (ranked):
Bioavailability / PK relevance: Route-locked. Oral ALA-HCl is used for intraoperative fluorescence in glioma with timed dosing prior to anesthesia/surgery; topical formulations are used for dermatologic PDT with local incubation followed by office-based illumination. Systemic exposure is clinically relevant for oral use (and photosensitivity risk), while topical use is primarily local with workflow defined by incubation + illumination. In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Many “dark” in-vitro ALA studies use concentrations that are not directly exposure-matched to clinical plasma levels; the clinically dominant cytotoxic mechanism is typically light-triggered, PpIX-mediated photochemistry rather than concentration-only pharmacology. Clinical evidence status: Established clinical deployment as an adjunct optical imaging agent for fluorescence-guided resection of suspected high-grade glioma (approved) and as a photosensitizer precursor for dermatologic PDT (approved for actinic keratosis; additional indications vary by jurisdiction). Oncology PDT applications beyond these settings are heterogeneous and commonly investigational or center-specific. -ALA is used in medical therapies such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) for certain types of cancer and skin conditions.- Inside the cells, ALA enters the heme biosynthetic pathway and is converted to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), a potent photosensitizer. -The light activates the accumulated PpIX, leading to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). -FDA approved June 2017 as a photo-imaging tool during neurosurgery for malignant glioma. The patient takes an oral dose of Gleolan 3 hours before surgery. Mechanistic pathway ranking for 5-ALA (oncology focus)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: |
| Type: |
| Oxygen consumption rate (OCR) is a measure of the rate at which cells consume oxygen, and it has been found to be altered in cancer cells. Cancer cells often exhibit increased glycolysis, a process in which glucose is converted into energy without the use of oxygen, even in the presence of oxygen. This is known as the Warburg effect. Cancer cells often exhibit increased glycolysis, which leads to a decrease in OCR. -When mitochondrial function is impaired (resulting in lower OCR), cells may compensate by upregulating glycolysis to meet their energy needs (known as the Pasteur effect). -Instruments such as the Seahorse Analyzer allow simultaneous measurement of OCR (reflecting mitochondrial respiration) and Extracellular Acidification Rate (ECAR, which is commonly used as a proxy for glycolysis). This dual measurement helps researchers understand how shifts in one pathway correlate with compensatory changes in the other. |
| 3453- | 5-ALA, | The heme precursor 5-aminolevulinic acid disrupts the Warburg effect in tumor cells and induces caspase-dependent apoptosis |
| - | in-vitro, | Lung, | A549 |
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers. Such Conditions may include : -low or high Dose -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations -different cell line effects -synergies with other products -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells
Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:% IllCat:% CanType:% Cells:% prod#:332 Target#:846 State#:% Dir#:2
wNotes=0 sortOrder:rid,rpid