6-Hydroxydopa (6-OH-DOPA; 6-OHDOPA) is a catecholaminergic neurotoxin that damages noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons and is used in scientific research. It is a precursor and prodrug of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). The drug is a derivative of levodopa (L-DOPA). 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. 6-OH-DOPA was first described in the scientific literature by 1969.
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