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Figure 3 | BMC Cancer

Figure 3

From: Photodynamic diagnosis of pleural malignant lesions with a combination of 5-aminolevulinic acid and intrinsic fluorescence observation systems

Figure 3

The metabolic pathway of 5ALA. Exogenous 5ALA is ingested and promptly metabolized to heme in normal cells. In contrast, the fluorescent substance protoporphyrin IX accumulates selectively in cancer cells, emitting red to pink fluorescence of about 630 nm, because cancer cells have high porphobilinogen deaminase activity and low ferrochelatase activity.

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