This technology includes a chemical series, including the NCGC00538279 compound, that selectively activates the GHSR1a G-protein pathway for calcium mobilization while only partially activating the beta-arrestin-2 translocation pathway. The resulting chemical series may be therapeutically valuable for addictive disorders. Activation of the GHSR1a G-protein pathway promotes production and secretion of multiple hormones, including insulin, growth hormone, and IGF1. Activation of the beta-arrestin-2 pathway stimulates dopamine production and may mediate addictive behaviors.

This technology includes the identification and use of 12/15-lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitors, including ML351 and related analogs, for post-stroke treatment. The 12/15-LOX directly oxidizes lipid membranes leading to their direct attack. After a stroke, the activity of 12/15-LOX is upregulated and is thought to contribute to increased neuronal loss and blood-brain barrier leakage. A high-throughput screen was undertaken to find inhibitors, which were then subjected to medical chemistry optimization.

The technology includes the creation of a high-throughput assay and the identification and use of small molecules that inhibit the SIX/EYA interaction as a treatment for cancer. The Eya proteins are phosphatases that form a complex and are activated by the Six family of homeobox transcription factors. The interaction of Eya and Six mediates breast cancer cell transformation, migration, invasion and metastasis. An assay was designed to screen a large collection of compounds to identify inhibitors of the SIX/EYA interaction.

This technology includes the use of two related compounds, Emetine and Cephaeline, as a potent inhibitor of the Zika virus (ZIKV). Emetine and it's analog Cephaeline were identified in a high-throughput assay aimed at identifying anti-ZIKV compounds. Both Emetine and Cephaeline are potent inhibitors of ZIKV infection in cell culture, and Emeline is a potent inhibitor of ZIKV infection in a live mouse model.

This technology includes a novel computational algorithm and software implementation to map and display biological pathways and their relationship on the surface of a globe in a three-dimensional space. Currently, biological pathways and genes are represented as two-dimensional networks, which is not effective for displaying complicated relationships between pathways and genes.

This technology includes the clinical use of the small compound emetine for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Previous work has shown that emetine has antiviral properties against some DNA and RNA viruses. It is thought that the mechanism may involve blocking protein synthesis. Work has shown that emetine has potential antiviral activity in multiple tissues that may make it suitable for the treatment of COVID-19.

This technology includes the identification and use of novel ACRV1/ALK2 inhibitors for the treatment of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), an autosomal-dominant rare disease that affects one person in every 1-2 million. FOP is characterized by malformation of the great (big) toes during embryonic development and by progressive heterotopic endochondral ossification (HEO) postnatally, which leads to the formation of a second skeleton of heterotopic bone.

This invention includes the discovery and use of a group of CDK inhibitors that were found during a drug repurposing screen designed to find compounds that inhibit Zika virus caused cell death. The identified CDK inhibitors have all previously been used in clinical trials for other diseases, potentially reducing the long time course needed for new drug discovery and development.

This technology includes the identification and use of novel inhibitors of ALDH1A1 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A1) for the treatment of multiple diseases, including cancer, inflammation, and obesity. ALDH1A1 is an enzyme that has a role in alcohol metabolism, and has been implicated in maintaining cancer stem cells. A high-throughput screen was conducted that identified novel ALDH1A1 inhibitors.

This technology includes a method for selecting a therapeutic effective amount of one of two compounds (including naltriben and naltrin) for the treatment of Zellweger Spectrum Disorder (ZSD), or any disease associated with peroxisome dysfunction. The compounds were identified using a cell-image based high-content screening (HCS) assay to identify small molecules that enhance peroxisome assembly in immortalized skin fibroblasts obtained from a ZSD patient.