5 Aminolevulinic Acid(also dALA, δ-ALA, or 5ala) is the first compound in the porphyrin synthesis pathway, the pathway that leads to heme in mammals and chlorophyll in plants.

In plants, production of δ-ALA is the step on which the speed of synthesis of chlorophyll is regulated. Plants that are fed by external δ-ALA accumulate toxic amounts of chlorophyll precursor, protochlorophyllide, indicating that the synthesis of this intermediate is not suppressed anywhere downwards in the chain of reaction. Protochlorophyllide is a strong photosensitizer in plants.

5-ALA as a new type of photodynamic drugs, not only for local or systemic skin cancer treatment, but also for bladder cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, lung cancer and other diagnosis.

5-ALA is the second generation of photosensitizer, is photodynamic therapy (PhotodynamicTherapy, referred to as PDT) drugs, can be used for acne, actinic keratosis, a variety of skin diseases, bladder cancer, genital warts, upper gastrointestinal cancer, Cancer, breast cancer, port wine stains, age-related macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases. Such as basal cell carcinoma cure rate of 91%, the cure rate of acne more than 95% of the bladder cancer and is considered ill disease treatment of psoriasis, have achieved satisfactory results