Evidence mapPaperPMID 41533907Full record

ArticleInvestigative ophthalmology & visual science2026

Levodopa Suppresses Choroidal Neovascularization Through a Tyrosinase-Dependent Dual Mechanism.

Induvahi Veernala, Andrea Sara Cuamatzi-Castelan, Amrita Rajesh, Joyce Gong, Godlyn J D'Souza, Jeremy A Lavine

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Induvahi VeernalaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Andrea Sara Cuamatzi-CastelanDepartment of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Amrita RajeshDepartment of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Joyce GongDepartment of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Godlyn J D'SouzaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Jeremy A LavineDepartment of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States.

Funding

Tumor Environment and MetastasisP30CA060553 · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 1993 to 2025
$31.0M
Investigating the function and mechanism of interleukin 7 receptor-expressing pro-angiogenic macrophages during experimental choroidal neovascularizationR01EY034486 · NEI · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2023 to 2025
$800k
Retinal perivascular macrophages: ontology and function during neuroinflammationR01EY036826 · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2025 to 2025
$400k
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA060553NEI NIH HHS R01 EY034486NEI NIH HHS R01 EY036826
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: Levodopa (L-DOPA), a precursor for melanin and dopamine, has been linked to reduced intravitreal injection burden and delayed onset of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Further, L-DOPA and dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) agonists inhibit laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV). However, the contributions of endogenous versus exogenous L-DOPA signaling, their effects in alternative CNV models, and the contributions of DRD2 versus GPR143, the receptor for L-DOPA, signaling remain unresolved. Methods: Choroidal sprouting assays (CSA) were performed using wild-type (WT) and tyrosinase-mutant (Tyr-/-) mice with and without dopamine pathway agonists and antagonists. CNV number and area were measured in pigmented Vldlr-/- and albino Vldlr-/-Tyr-/- mice with and without L-DOPA or the DRD2 agonist quinpirole. Results: Endogenous L-DOPA deficiency (Tyr-/-) did not affect CSA sprouting or CNV in Vldlr-/- mice. Exogenous L-DOPA suppressed angiogenesis ex vivo in both WT and Tyr-/- choroidal explants in a dose-dependent manner. In vivo, L-DOPA reduced CNV lesion number, lesion area, and macrophage infiltration in albino but not pigmented Vldlr-/- mice. Dopamine and quinpirole produced modest anti-angiogenic effects, and eticlopride partially reversed L-DOPA inhibition in choroidal explants. Quinpirole suppressed CNV lesion number, lesion area, and macrophage infiltration in pigmented Vldlr-/- mice. Conclusions: Our findings show that L-DOPA's anti-angiogenic effects are exogenous, more effective in tyrosinase-mutant mice, and mediated by both the DRD2 and non-DRD2 pathways, potentially GPR143. The saturation of GPR143 signaling in pigmented eyes provides a mechanistic basis for reduced responsiveness, highlighting the importance of pigmentation biology in the development of L-DOPA-based therapeutics.

Indexed as

Choroidal NeovascularizationLevodopaMonophenol MonooxygenaseAnimalsChoroidDisease Models, AnimalDopamine AgonistsMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutReceptors, Dopamine D2Receptors, LDLDopamine AgonistsLevodopaMonophenol MonooxygenaseReceptors, Dopamine D2Receptors, LDLVLDL receptor

Identifiers

PMID41533907
PMCPMC12798749

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.