Esters and amino acid derivatives of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)
are efficient prodrugs for the production of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX),
which has been used in photodynamic cancer therapy (PDT). The synthesis
of novel bioconjugates combining ALA with adenosine and thymidine
is reported. The novel bioconjugates have been made using a robust
methodology. The new class of prodrugs contains one, two, or three
ALA per molecule. Preliminary cell tests in human cancer cell lines
indicate that the thymidine conjugate of ALA is an efficient prodrug
for PDT.
nucleosides - esterification - porphyrins - photochemistry - anticancer agent
