Bioquimica Farmacologica del Ojo OCUPHARM

OcuPharm research group belongs to the School of Optometry at the Complutense University of Madrid. It is exploiting its scientific expertise in the fields of biochemistry, pharmacology, ocular pathology, molecular biology, molecular pathology and neurology. The group has a number of commercial collaborations in place, providing services to biotechnology companies in basic science and preclinical studies regarding medicines, biochemical, pharmacological and physiology to the eye and its diseases.
Since its creation in 1998, the research group is focusing its scientific activities on the research of melatonin effects and its analogy on the intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal wound healing, Dry Eye syndrome, Glaucoma, and Ocular surface pathologies.
The director of the group is the Professor, Gonzalo Carracedo, PhD.

Intraocular pressure-Melatonin and intraocular pressure
During 2000 and until now our group has worked intensively to understand the role of melatonin and its analogues on intraocular pressure. At that time the company INSPIRE PHARMACEUTICALS contacted us because of our interest in research on the effects of nucleotides on intraocular pressure. After the knowledge of our experiments with melatonin and analogues, that company has designed new analogues of melatonin which have been tested in our laboratory. The interest of this company in the search for more effective melatonin analogues reducing the intraocular pressure, leaving in the background the cellular and molecular mechanisms, the subject of this project.
The gains we"ve made on the issue have been, first, to describe that topical application of melatonin and the compound 5-MCA-NAT reduces intraocular pressure very significantly. This effect was found that is mediated by a receptor for melatonin because it could be inhibited with the non-selective antagonist luzindole. Another of the most important aspects of this work was presented prolonged effect in particular compound 5-MCA-NAT (5 carboxyamido methyl N-acetyl tryptamine). This suggested that this compound, with the hypotensive property so marked and prolonged effect that could be employed in the treatment of ocular hypertension.

We already possess vast experience with Marie Curie students, already participating in 4 H2020 projects.