5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has been at the forefront of small molecule based fluorescence-guided tumor resection and photodynamic therapy. 5-ALA and two of its esters received marketing authorization but suffer from several major limitations, namely low stability and poor pharmacokinetic profile. Here, we present a new class of 5-ALA derivatives aiming at the stabilization of 5-ALA by incorporating a phosphatase sensitive group, with or without self-cleavable linker. Compared to 5-ALA hexyl ester (5-ALA-Hex), these compounds display an excellent stability under acidic, basic and physiological conditions. The activation and conversion into the 5-ALA is controlled and can be structure-tailored. The prodrugs display reduced acute toxicity compared to 5-ALA-Hex with superior dose response profiles of protoporphyrin IX synthesis and fluorescence intensity in human glioblastoma cells in vitro. Clinically relevant fluorescence kinetics in vivo shown in U87Mg glioblastoma spheroid tumor model in chick embryos provide a solid basis for their further development and translation to clinical fluorescence guided tumor resection and photodynamic therapy.

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Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) as natural photosensitizer derived from administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has found clinical use for photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy of several cancers. However, broader use of 5-ALA in oncology is hampered by its charge and polarity that result in its reduced capacity for passing biological barriers and reaching the tumor tissue. Advanced drug delivery platforms are needed to improve the biodistribution of 5-ALA. Here, we report a new approach for the delivery of 5-ALA. Squalenoylation strategy was used to covalently conjugate 5-ALA to squalene, a natural precursor of cholesterol. 5-ALA-SQ nanoassemblies were formed by self-assembly in water. The nanoassemblies were monodisperse with average size of 70 nm, polydispersity index of 0.12, and ζ-potential of + 36 mV. They showed good stability over several weeks. The drug loading of 5-ALA was very high at 26%. In human prostate cancer cells PC3 and human glioblastoma cells U87MG, PpIX production was monitored in vitro upon the incubation with nanoassemblies. They were more efficient in generating PpIX-induced fluorescence in cancer cells compared to 5-ALA-Hex at 1.0 to 3.3 mM at short and long incubation times. Compared to 5-ALA, they showed superior fluorescence performance at 4 h which was diminished at 24 h. 5-ALA-SQ presents a novel nano-delivery platform with great potential for the systemic administration of 5-ALA.