The team utilized a technique that they believe could speed up the drug discovery process in the production of lissodendoric acid A.

Organic chemists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have synthesized the first artificial form of a molecule found in a sea sponge, which holds potential therapeutic benefits for Parkinson’s disease and similar disorders. The molecule, named lissodendoric acid A, has the ability to counteract molecules that can harm DNA, RNA, proteins, and even destroy whole cells.

In a surprising turn, the research team utilized an unusual, long-neglected compound called a cyclic allene to control a critical stage in the chemical reactions required to create a usable form of the molecule in the laboratory. This breakthrough, according to the team, has the potential to be beneficial in the development of other complicated molecules for pharmaceutical studies.