title: Aminolevulinic acid (ALA): photodynamic detection and potential therapeutic applications.
abstract: Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a heme precursor that may have potential applications for photodynamic detection and photodynamic therapy-based treatment of solid tumors in a variety of malignancies. ALA may have a role in other applications in surgical oncology based on its ability to discriminate neoplastic tissue from adjacent normal tissue. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the published studies of ALA in noncutaneous solid malignancies.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nokes
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Apel
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Julie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D017277:Drug Approval; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid