Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30553949›Full record

ArticlePhotodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy2019

Improving in vitro photodynamic therapy through the development of a novel iron chelating aminolaevulinic acid prodrug.

Alison Curnow, Alexis Perry, Mark Wood

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. [ACS omega · 2025
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Alison CurnowEuropean Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK. Electronic address: a.curnow@exeter.ac.uk.
Alexis PerryBiosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QD, UK.
Mark WoodBiosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QD, UK.
University of Exeter · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_PC_15054
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPhotodynamic therapy (PDT) is a light activated drug therapy that can be used to treat a number of cancers and precancers. It is particularly useful in its topical form in dermatology but improvement of efficacy is required to widen its application.

methodsAn ester between aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) and CP94 was synthesised (AP2-18) and experimentally evaluated to determine whether protoporphyrin IX (PpIX)-induced PDT effectiveness could be improved. A biological evaluation of AP2-18 was conducted in cultured human primary cells with both PpIX fluorescence and cell viability (as determined via the neutral red assay) being assessed in comparison to the PpIX prodrugs normally utilised in clinical practice (aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) or its methyl ester (MAL)) either administered alone or with the comparator iron chelator, CP94.

resultsNo significant dark toxicity was observed in human lung fibroblasts but AP2-18 significantly increased PpIX accumulation above and beyond that achieved with ALA or MAL administration +/- CP94 in both human dermal fibroblasts and epithelial squamous carcinoma cells. On light exposure, the combined hydroxypyridinone iron chelating ALA prodrug AP2-18 generated significantly greater cytotoxicity than any of the other treatment parameters investigated when the lowest concentration (250 μM) was employed.

conclusionsNewly synthesised AP2-18 is therefore concluded to be an efficacious prodrug for PpIX-induced PDT in these dermatologically relevant human cells, achieving enhanced effects at lower concentrations than currently possible with existing pharmaceuticals.

Indexed as

Aminolevulinic AcidCell Line, TumorCell SurvivalHumansIron Chelating AgentsPhotochemotherapyPhotosensitizing AgentsProdrugsProtoporphyrinsPyridonesSkin Neoplasms1,2-diethyl-3-hydroxypyridin-4-oneAminolevulinic AcidAP2-18Iron Chelating AgentsPhotosensitizing AgentsProdrugsprotoporphyrin IXProtoporphyrinsPyridonesAminolaevulinic acid (ALA)AP2-18Hydroxypyridinone (HPO)Iron chelationPhotodynamic therapy (PDT)Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX)

Identifiers

PMID30553949
PMCPMC6456724
OpenAlexW2904634565

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.