6-Hydroxydopa (6-OH-DOPA; 6-OHDOPA) is a catecholaminergic neurotoxin that damages noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons and is used in scientific research.
[1][2][3] It is a precursor and prodrug of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA).
[1][2][3] The drug is a derivative of levodopa (L-DOPA).
[1][2][3] It has certain advantages over 6-OHDA, such as the ability to cross the blood–brain barrier into the central nervous system and hence the ability to be administered systemically rather than directly into the brain.
[4] This pharmacology-related article is a stub.