Cancer Letters
Volume 241, Issue 1 , Pages 23-30, 8 September 2006

Delivery of hypericin for photodynamic applications

  • Constance Lay Lay Saw

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore 117543
    • ,
  • Malini Olivo

      Affiliations

    • Division of Medical Sciences, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore 169610
    • ,
  • Khee Chee Soo

      Affiliations

    • Division of Medical Sciences, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore 169610
    • ,
  • Paul Wan Sia Heng

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore 117543
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +65 6874 2930; fax: +65 6775 2265.

Received 3 August 2005; received in revised form 17 October 2005; accepted 18 October 2005.

Abstract 

Early cancer detection is critical in improving disease management outcomes. Cancer diagnosis presents unique difficulties mainly due to its pathological presentation and poor accessibility that could limit the usefulness of conventional white light endoscopy in early cancer detection. Fluorescence endoscopy has been proven to improve the sensitivity and specificity of early cancer detection. Hypericin (HY) has been found to be superior to 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and its ester derivative hexaminolevulinate (HA) as a fluorescence diagnostic agent, hence its development for delivery in vitro and in vivo, is the subject of this review.

Keywords: Hypericin, 5-Aminolevulinic acid, Hexaminolevulinate, Photodynamic, Delivery, Uptake mechanism, Photosensitizer, Fluorescence endoscopy, Cancer detection

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PII: S0304-3835(05)00940-7

doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2005.10.020

Cancer Letters
Volume 241, Issue 1 , Pages 23-30, 8 September 2006

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