A light guide instead of an electrode?
An international team of researchers led by Dr. Francisco Ciruela from the University of Barcelona has developed the first prototype of the photoactive drug MRS7145 for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, the effectiveness of which has been demonstrated in experiments on mice.
Parkinson's disease ranks second among age-related neurodegenerative diseases after Alzheimer's disease and develops in more than 1% of the population. This disease affects the central nervous system, which is characterized by the progressive death of dopaminergic neurons in the brain and a subsequent decrease in the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates the motor activity of the body.
The effect of drugs traditionally used for the treatment of Parkinson's disease is often limited by a number of factors: lack of spatial specificity, slow and incorrect distribution in the body, which can reduce their therapeutic effectiveness. In addition, the effectiveness of the most popular therapy (levodopa drug) decreases over time, which requires an increase in the dose or a change of the drug. Many patients have newer drugs with undesirable reactions, such as uncontrolled body movements, motor fluctuations, etc.
Optopharmacology is an innovative direction based on the use of light of a certain wavelength to regulate the activity of drugs. Light-sensitive drugs can exert their effect with higher spatial and temporal accuracy and without adversely affecting the body.
Compound MRS7145, the first potential photoactive drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, is a photosensitive derivative of compound SCH442416, which is a selective antagonist of the adenosine A2A receptor. There is evidence in the scientific literature that some antagonists of this receptor can potentially be used in the therapy of Parkinson's disease, since they are involved in the mechanisms of motor activity control.
The photoactive drug MRS7145 is an inactive chemical compound activated by the action of light of the visible spectrum harmless to the body (wavelength 405 nanometers). In experiments on mice, the authors caused its targeted activation with the help of light passing through optical fiber fibers implanted in the striated nuclei of the brain. This region of the brain is responsible for controlling motor activity.
According to the authors, in ordinary animals under the influence of light, MRS7145 induced increased mobility, and also suppressed drowsiness and tremor caused by the drugs haloperidol and pilocarpine. In experiments on a mouse model of Parkinson's disease, MRS7145 enhanced the effect of the most effective antiparkinsonian drug, levodopa.
Despite the fact that the clinical use of this photoactive drug is still very far away, the approach proposed by the researchers may give rise to a new direction of research devoted to the search for therapeutic solutions for Parkinson's disease.
Article by J. Taura et al. Remote control of movement disorders using a photoactive adenosine A2A receptor antagonist is published in the Journal of Controlled Release.
Evgenia Ryabtseva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the University of Barcelona: First photoactive drug to fight Parkinson's disease.