Tomatoes Offer Affordable Source of Parkinson's Disease Drug
Published:07 Jan.2021 Source:John Innes Centre
Scientists have produced a tomato enriched in the Parkinson's disease drug L-DOPA in what could become a new, affordable source of one of the world's essential medicines.
The development of the genetically modified (GM) tomato has implications for developing nations where access to pharmaceutical drugs is restricted. This novel use of tomato plants as a natural source of L-DOPA also offers benefits for people who suffer adverse effects -- including nausea and behavioral complications -- of chemically synthesised L-DOPA.