Adenosine modulates many physiological processes by activating specific adenosine receptors. These adenosine receptors play a critical role in the regulation of cellular signaling and are broadly distributed throughout the body. Thus, the ability to modulate adenosine receptor-mediated signaling is an attractive therapeutic strategy for a broad range of diseases. This technology relates to a group of compounds that display high affinity and specificity for the A1 adenosine receptor subtype.

One of the compounds, MRS5474, displays anticonvulsant activity in the 6 Hz animal model of clonic seizures. In the minimal behavioral toxicity test using the rotarod, no toxicity (zero out of eight mice) was observed at all doses tested up to 30 mg/kg, the highest dose tested, which was nearly completely protective (seven out of eight animals) in the 6 Hz model. MRS 5474 also tested well in the corneal kindled mouse model to examine its effect on focal seizures.