Search Ontology:
ChEBI

methyl 5-aminolevulinate

Term ID
CHEBI:724125
Synonyms
  • 5-aminolevulinic acid methyl ester
  • aminolevulinic acid methyl ester
  • methyl 5-amino-4-oxopentanoate
  • Methyl aminolevulinate
  • methyl delta-aminolevulinate
Definition
The methyl ester of 5-aminolevulinic acid. A prodrug, it is metabolised to protoporphyrin IX, a photosensitizer, and is used in the photodynamic treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer (including basal cell carcinoma). Topical application (often as the hydrochloride salt) results in an accumulation of protoporphyrin IX in the skin lesions to which the cream has been applied. Subsequent illumination with red light results in the generation of toxic singlet oxygen that destroys cell membranes and thereby kills the tumour cells.
References
Ontology
ChEBI  ( EBI )
Relationships
is a type of
has_functional_parent
has_role
inverse has_part
Phenotype
Phenotype resulting from methyl 5-aminolevulinate
Phenotype where environments contain methyl 5-aminolevulinate
Phenotype modified by environments containing methyl 5-aminolevulinate
Human Disease / Model Data