Issue 6, 2016

Design and synthesis of 5-aminolaevulinic acid/3-hydroxypyridinone conjugates for photodynamic therapy: enhancement of protoporphyrin IX production and photo-toxicity in tumor cells

Abstract

5-Aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) and its derivatives have been widely used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) as precursors of the photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in dermatology and urology. However, ALA-PDT is limited by the low bioavailability of ALA due to the fact that ALA is poorly absorbed by cells by virtue of its zwitterionic nature at physiological pH. In order to improve the therapeutic effect and induce higher levels of PpIX, a series of ALA prodrugs were synthesized by the conjugation of ALA to 3-hydroxypyridin-4-one (HPO) iron chelator using an amino acid linkage via amide bonds. Pharmacokinetic studies indicated that one ALA–HPO conjugate significantly enhanced PpIX production in a range of tumor cell lines over ALA alone or the co-administration of ALA and CP94 (1,2-diethyl-3-hydroxypyridin-4-one). The intracellular porphyrin fluorescence levels showed good correlation with cellular photo-toxicity following light exposure, suggesting the potential application of the ALA–HPO conjugates in photodynamic therapy.

Graphical abstract: Design and synthesis of 5-aminolaevulinic acid/3-hydroxypyridinone conjugates for photodynamic therapy: enhancement of protoporphyrin IX production and photo-toxicity in tumor cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
20 Jan 2016
Accepted
14 Apr 2016
First published
15 Apr 2016

Med. Chem. Commun., 2016,7, 1190-1196

Design and synthesis of 5-aminolaevulinic acid/3-hydroxypyridinone conjugates for photodynamic therapy: enhancement of protoporphyrin IX production and photo-toxicity in tumor cells

T. Zhou, L. Shao, S. Battah, C. Zhu, R. C. Hider, B. J. Reeder, A. Jabeen, A. J. MacRobert, G. Ren and X. Liang, Med. Chem. Commun., 2016, 7, 1190 DOI: 10.1039/C6MD00040A

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