Lactose, found in dairy products and other foods, is comprised of two simple sugars, glucose and galactose. In galactosemia, where galactose is not properly metabolized, build-up of toxic compounds, such as galactose-1-phosphate, can lead to liver disease, renal failure, cataracts, brain damage, and even death if this disorder is left untreated. Currently, the only treatment for galactosemia is elimination of lactose and galactose from the diet, but in some cases this is not sufficient to avoid long-term complications from the disorder.

This technology describes selective small-molecule inhibitors of human galactokinase, which inhibit the first step in galactose metabolism. These compounds could be used to treat galactosemia by eliminating the build-up of toxic metabolites in brain, liver and other tissues, and could form the basis for the first effective treatment for this disorder.

These inhibitors are also promising candidates for the treatment of certain cancers, such as PTEN/AKT misregulated cancers. The inventors have already shown that the inhibitors are cytotoxic for several cancer cell lines.