Clinical Significance
It elicits synthesis and accumulation of fluorescent porphyrins (protoporphyrin IX) in epithelia and neoplastic tissues, among them malignant gliomas. It is used to visualise tumorous tissue in neurosurgical procedures. Studies have shown that the intraoperative use of this guiding method may reduce the tumour residual volume and prolong progression-free survival in patients suffering from this disease.
Aminolevulinic acid is also a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy.
Read more about this topic: Aminolevulinic Acid
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—Alasdair Chalmers MacIntyre (b. 1929)