webinar

Life Webinar | Advances in 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Applications in Medical and Healthcare

Name: Life Webinar | Advances in 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Applications in Medical and Healthcare
Start: 2026-07-20T22:00:00
End: 2026-07-20T22:00:00

20 July 2026

09:00 (CEST)

Online

Welcome from
the chair

6^thLife Webinar

Advances in 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Applications in Medical and Healthcare

Dear Colleagues,

5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is the sole source of heme biosynthesis. Heme is an essential component of the electron transport chain and mitochondrial respiratory complexes, which engage in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and ATP production. Mitochondrial functions and activities are a current focus in medicine and healthcare, and mitochondrial deficiency is being investigated as a primary cause of metabolic disorders and various diseases related to aging such as type 2 diabetes, sarcopenia, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Highly proliferative cancer cells are dependent on glycolysis, do not use oxygen in mitochondria even under aerobic conditions, and cause deficiency in the ferrochelatase activity that is essential for heme synthesis. As a result, cancer cells accumulate protoporphyrin IX (PPIX), a precursor of heme, which can be activated by energy from light, X-rays, and ultrasound. By using these mechanisms, 5-ALA has been applied to photodynamic diagnosis (PDD), photodynamic therapy (PDT), radio dynamic therapy (RDT), and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) for cancers.

ALAS1-heterozygous (ALAS1+/−) mice have revealed diverse systemic consequences of chronic heme deficiency. These mice develop metabolic dysfunction characterized by insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and abnormal glycogen accumulation, which are mechanistically linked to reduced AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling. They also exhibit pronounced mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired autophagy, and accelerated aging-related phenotypes, including sarcopenia and metabolic decline, highlighting the critical role of heme as a regulator of systemic metabolism. Supplementation with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) significantly ameliorates these ALAS1+/− phenotypes by improving metabolic function, mitochondrial homeostasis, autophagy, and immune competence. These findings suggest that heme homeostasis is a central regulator of systemic physiology and support the therapeutic potential of 5-ALA for heme-deficiency-related disorders.

In this online seminar, we focus on a variety of activities of 5-ALA and discuss its potential applications in healthcare and medicine.

The first presentation discusses the application of 5-ALA in next-generation cancer therapies.

Invited Speaker: Andrea Ebeling Title Presentation: 5-ALA-XDT opportunities in cancer therapy

The second presentation explores the systemic impact of heme deficiency and the protective role of 5-ALA supplementation.
Invited Speaker: Osamu Nakajima Title Presentation: Systemic Consequences of 5-ALA Synthase 1 (Alas1) gene Disruption and the Protective Role of 5-ALA

The third presentation addresses the therapeutic potential of 5-ALA in treating mitochondrial diseases.
Invited Speaker: Akira Ohtake Title Presentation: 5-ALA therapy for mitochondrial diseases

We hope these three contributions will stimulate a discussion with attendees, fostering inputs, new insights and collaborations.

Date: 20 July 2026
Time: 9:00 – 10:30 am CEST (Corresponding to 4:00 – 5:30 pm JST)
Webinar ID: 899 6778 3699
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com

Meet Our Chair

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Prof. Dr. Motowo Nakajima

Development, SBI Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Japan;BA, MS, PhD, The University of Tokyo Assistant Professor, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo, Inst Mol Cell Biosciences. Visiting Professor, The University of Tokyo, Shinshu University Medical School Director, Ciba-Geigy, International Research Laboratories, Director and Chief Scientist, Novartis Pharma Senior Director, Johnson & Johnson Corporate Office of Science and Technology Executive Director, CSO, SBI ALApromo, SBI Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., NXDC Visiting Professor, Fudan University School of Life Sciences, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Keio University Graduate School of Health Management

Webinar Content

In this online seminar, we focus on a variety of activities of 5-ALA and discuss its potential applications in healthcare and medicine.

Sponsors and Partners

Organizer

Relevant Special Issue

Advances in 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Applications in Medical and Healthcare

Edited by Prof. Dr. Motowo Nakajima, Prof. Dr. Walter Stummer and Dr. Shun-ichiro Ogura
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 18 September 2026