Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yoshinori Harada, Yasutoshi Murayama, Tetsuro Takamatsu, Eigo Otsuji, Hideo Tanaka
Summary: 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is a natural amino acid that can accumulate in cancer cells and be used for tumor visualization. However, its diagnostic applicability is challenging due to interference from tissue autofluorescence.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martin Kiening, Norbert Lange
Summary: Most cancer research focuses on targeting specific types of cancer, but this can be limiting as not all cancers or patients express the necessary antigens for certain therapies. Combination therapies are promising but require personalized treatment and can be expensive. In this study, the researchers investigated the use of aminolevulinate-based photodynamic diagnosis and therapy for breast cancer and found that a novel derivative showed potential in accumulating the fluorescent protoporphyrin IX, which could aid in guided resection and destruction of cancer cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Mario Mischkulnig, Denise Traxler, Lisa I. Wadiura, Alexandra Lang, Matthias Millesi, Barbara Kiesel, Georg Widhalm
Summary: The study compared the detection of PpIX concentrations between a conventional fluorescence microscope and a novel loupe device. The results showed that the minimal detectable PpIX concentrations were significantly lower using the loupe device compared to the conventional fluorescence microscope, indicating that the novel loupe device can visualize 5-ALA fluorescence with high sensitivity.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
K. M. Tewari, R. Dondi, E. Yaghini, C. Pourzand, A. J. MacRobert, I. M. Eggleston
Summary: A novel peptide-targeted dendrimeric prodrug of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) was successfully synthesized, which can effectively deliver ALA to specific cancer cell types. The prodrug system showed sustained and enhanced production of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in cancer cell lines over-expressing the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR+). This study provides proof of concept for the development of new generation prodrugs for ALA-based photodynamic therapy with enhanced ALA payload delivery to specific tissue types.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Enming Du, Yunlan Tang, Qizheng Zhang, Zongming Song, Ye Tao, Ye Zhang
Summary: In this study, a chemical modification strategy based on enzyme-instructed self-assembly (EISA) was proposed to improve the solubility and intracellular uptake selectivity of macromolecules. The integration of enzymatic transformation and molecular self-assembly successfully enhanced the therapeutic potential of macromolecules.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Safieh Ebrahimi, Farshad Mirzavi, Seyed Isaac Hashemy, Maryam Khaleghi Ghadiri, Walter Stummer, Ali Gorji
Summary: This study evaluated the potential anti-cancer synergy of aprepitant, a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, and 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) on U-87 human GBM cells. The combination treatment of aprepitant and 5-ALA showed significant growth inhibitory, pro-apoptotic, and anti-migratory effects on GBM cells. These effects were more prominent than either drug used alone. The findings provide a basis for further research on the combination of aprepitant and 5-ALA as a novel therapeutic approach for GBM.
Article
Oncology
Dorothee C. Spille, Eva C. Bunk, Christian Thomas, Zeynep Oezdemir, Andrea Wagner, Burak H. Akkurt, Manoj Mannil, Werner Paulus, Oliver M. Grauer, Walter Stummer, Volker Senner, Benjamin Brokinkel
Summary: This study investigated the use of 5-ALA-mediated fluorescence-guided resection (FGR) in meningiomas and found that it has high sensitivity and specificity for the identification of tumor tissue. It also showed a correlation between fluorescence and the expression of key enzymes and transporters. However, there are limitations in visualizing the dura tail or CNS invasion.
Article
Cell Biology
Tiffaney Hsia, Anudeep Yekula, S. Maheen Batool, Yulia B. Rosenfeld, Dong Gil You, Ralph Weissleder, Hakho Lee, Bob S. Carter, Leonora Balaj
Summary: Liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive alternative to surgical biopsy, which can provide a window into the tumor landscape by analyzing analytes such as extracellular vesicles. Research findings indicate that fractionation of EV subpopulations can lead to transcriptome profiles that are closer to tumorigenic processes, and tumor-specific EVs isolated from plasma show enrichment in GBM-associated genes.
JOURNAL OF EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Shakir Khan, Bofan Song, Srivalleesha Mallidi, Shaobai Li, Hui Liu, M. A. Bilal Hussain, Shaista Siddiqui, Amjad P. Khan, Kafil Akhtar, Shahid Ali Siddiqui, Syed Abrar Hasan, Colin Hopper, Stephen G. Bown, Rongguang Liang, Tayyaba Hasan, Jonathan P. Celli
Summary: India has a high incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but lacks medical infrastructure and routine screening, especially in rural areas. This study aims to use a hand-held smartphone-coupled intraoral imaging device for detection and photodynamic therapy (PDT) of oral cancer. The results suggest the utility of this low-cost device for image-guided PDT and treatment monitoring.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Charles Dupin, Jade Sutter, Samuel Amintas, Marie-Alix Derieppe, Magalie Lalanne, Soule Coulibaly, Joris Guyon, Thomas Daubon, Julian Boutin, Jean-Marc Blouin, Emmanuel Richard, Francois Moreau-Gaudry, Aurelie Bedel, Veronique Vendrely, Sandrine Dabernat
Summary: This study investigated the radiosensitization potential of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) in glioblastoma using a robust preclinical tumor model. Despite the specific accumulation of 5-ALA in glioblastoma, it did not enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy. These findings suggest the need for further exploration of radiosensitization agents in the treatment of glioblastoma.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Masatomo Beika, Yoshinori Harada, Takeo Minamikawa, Yoshihisa Yamaoka, Noriaki Koizumi, Yasutoshi Murayama, Hirotaka Konishi, Atsushi Shiozaki, Hitoshi Fujiwara, Eigo Otsuji, Tetsuro Takamatsu, Hideo Tanaka
Summary: The fluorescence peak at approximately 620 nm in necrotic lesions, distinct from the PpIX fluorescence peak at 635 nm for viable cancer lesions, suggests that UPI accumulation in necrotic tissues after 5-ALA administration may be responsible for the 620 nm peak. This variation in fluorescence emission profiles could potentially be used for the evaluation of tumor necrosis in clinical settings.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara Sansaloni-Pastor, Emmanuel Varesio, Norbert Lange
Summary: 5-ALA-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) utilizes the heme biosynthesis pathway to selectively accumulate PpIX in cancer cells. However, the mechanism behind PpIX accumulation following PDT is still unknown. In this study, the authors evaluated the proteome changes in the heme pathway induced by 5-ALA supplementation. They found that porphyrins play a crucial role in heme biosynthesis modulation, while 5-ALA alone does not cause significant changes in the pathway. Understanding the regulation of heme enzymes could improve the design of PDT treatments.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Harshal A. Shah, Sandra Leskinen, Hamza Khilji, Vinayak Narayan, Netanel Ben-Shalom, Randy S. D'Amico
Summary: The current studies on 5-ALA fluorescence in brain metastases are limited and do not confirm its efficacy in improving the extent of resection or post-operative survival. Fluorescence varies greatly across and within tumor types.
JOURNAL OF NEURO-ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Eric Suero Molina, David Black, Sadahiro Kaneko, Michael Muther, Walter Stummer
Summary: The administration of higher doses of 5-aminolevulinic acid can lead to increased conversion into protoporphyrin IX in low-grade glioma, indicating a relationship between plasma concentration and brain movement of 5-ALA.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSURGERY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Evgenii Belykh, Liudmila Bardonova, Irakliy Abramov, Vadim A. A. Byvaltsev, Talgat Kerymbayev, Kwanha Yu, Debbie R. R. Healey, Ernesto Luna-Melendez, Benjamin Deneen, Shwetal Mehta, James K. K. Liu, Mark C. C. Preul
Summary: Surgical resection is the primary treatment for gliomas, but there is a lack of comparative effectiveness information for different fluorescent dyes used for intraoperative tumor visualization. This study analyzed the effectiveness of fluorescein sodium (FNa), 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), and indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence in various glioma models and found that wide-field imaging is equally efficient for highly malignant gliomas with all three dyes, while confocal microscopy improves diagnostic accuracy and can better detect low concentrations of PpIX and FNa in low-intermediate grade gliomas.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
