Ophthalmic acid, a molecule in the brain, functions similar to or mimics the neurotransmitter dopamine to regulate motor function, finds a groundbreaking study by a research team at the University of California, Irvine. This finding presents a therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
UC Irvine researchers are first to reveal role of ophthalmic acid in motor function control

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Mechanism of Ophthalmic Acid Inside the Brain

In the study, published in the October issue of the journal Brain, researchers observed that ophthalmic acid interacts with calcium-sensitive receptors in the brain, activating them and reversing the movement impairments of Parkinson’s mouse models for more than 20 hours.
The disabling neurogenerative disease is highly prevalent, especially in people above the age of 50. Major symptoms of the disease arise due to decreasing levels of dopamine and degenerating neurons in the brain; it includes tremors, shaking, and lack of movement. L-dopa, the first-line drug used for Parkinson’s, acts by replacing the lost dopamine and has a duration of two to three hours. While initially efficacious, its effect diminishes over time, and its long-term use leads to dyskinesia – involuntary, erratic muscle movements in the patient’s face, arms, legs, and torso.

Ophthalmic Acid: A Cure for Parkinson’s?

“Our findings present a groundbreaking discovery that possibly opens a new door in neuroscience by challenging the more-than-60-year-old view that dopamine is the exclusive neurotransmitter in motor function control,” said co-corresponding author Amal Alachkar, School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences professor. “Remarkably, ophthalmic acid not only enabled movement, but also far surpassed L-dopa in sustaining positive effects. The identification of the ophthalmic acid-calcium-sensing receptor pathway, a previously unrecognized system, opens up promising new avenues for movement disorder research and therapeutic interventions, especially for Parkinson’s disease patients.”

Alachkar began her investigation into the complexities of motor function beyond the confines of dopamine more than two decades ago, when she observed robust motor activity in Parkinson’s mouse models without dopamine. In this study, the team conducted comprehensive metabolic examinations of hundreds of brain molecules to identify which are associated with motor activity in the absence of dopamine. After thorough behavioral, biochemical, and pharmacological analyses, ophthalmic acid was confirmed as an alternative neurotransmitter.

“One of the critical hurdles in Parkinson’s treatment is the inability of neurotransmitters to cross the blood-brain barrier, which is why L-DOPA is administered to patients to be converted to dopamine in the brain,” Alachkar said. “We are now developing products that either release ophthalmic acid in the brain or enhance the brain’s ability to synthesize it as we continue to explore the full neurological function of this molecule.”

Reference:

1. UC Irvine researchers are first to reveal role of ophthalmic acid in motor function control – (https://news.uci.edu/2024/10/04/uc-irvine-researchers-are-first-to-reveal-role-of-ophthalmic-acid-in-motor-function-control/)

Source-Eurekalert