Tag: Aminolevulinic acid

With the concept of photochemotherapy dating back over 100 years, a crucial component of modern photodynamic therapy (PDT) is understanding what drug is used in photodynamic therapy. This class of light-sensitive agents, known as photosensitizers, allows for targeted destruction of abnormal cells with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

Affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States, the porphyrias are a group of rare disorders [1.7.2]. A key question for understanding this group of conditions is, **what is aminolevulinic acid disease?** This term refers to these disorders where aminolevulinic acid (ALA) accumulates.

In both plants and animals, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is the essential starting point for the production of all tetrapyrrole compounds, including the vital pigment heme. This central role is exploited in medicine, where understanding what is the function of aminolevulinic acid is key to its use in cancer treatment and diagnosis.

Affecting an estimated 11-26% of the U.S. population, actinic keratosis is a primary condition for which aminolevulinic acid is used [1.10.3]. This photosensitizing agent is a key component in photodynamic therapy for skin conditions and a vital tool in cancer surgery [1.2.2, 1.2.3].