On the Possibility of Using 5-Aminolevulinic Acid in the Light-Induced Destruction of Microorganisms
Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) is a method that specifically kills target cells by combining a photosensitizer and irradiation with light at the appropriate wavelength. The natural amino acid, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), is the precursor of endogenous porphyrins in the heme biosyn...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/7/3590 |
| Summary: | Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) is a method that specifically kills target cells by combining a photosensitizer and irradiation with light at the appropriate wavelength. The natural amino acid, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), is the precursor of endogenous porphyrins in the heme biosynthesis pathway. This review summarizes the recent progress in understanding the biosynthetic pathways and regulatory mechanisms of 5-ALA synthesis in biological hosts. The effectiveness of 5-ALA-aPDI in destroying various groups of pathogens (viruses, fungi, yeasts, parasites) was presented, but greater attention was focused on the antibacterial activity of this technique. Finally, the clinical applications of 5-ALA in therapies using 5-ALA and visible light (treatment of ulcers and disinfection of dental canals) were described. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |