APR-246 is a methylated form of PRIMA-1, 2-hydroxymethyl-2-methoxymethyl-aza-bicyclo[2.2.2]octan-3-one (PRIMA-1MET). APR-246, is a prodrug that is converted to the Michael acceptor methylene quinuclidinone (MQ) that binds covalently to cysteines in p53, leading to refolding and restoration of wild type p53 function. MQ also targets the cellular redox balance by inhibiting thioredoxin reductase (TrxR1) and depleting glutathione. APR-246 can rescue mutant forms of the p53 family members p63 and p73 that share high sequence homology with p53. APR-246 has demonstrated compelling pre-clinical antitumor activity in a wide variety of solid and hematological (blood) tumors, including ovarian cancer, small cell lung cancer, esophageal cancer and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), among others. Furthermore, strong synergy has been seen with both traditional anticancer agents, such as chemotherapy, as well as newer mechanism-based anticancer drugs. A Phase I clinical study has been completed, demonstrating a favorable safety profile and both biological and clinical responses in hematological tumors with mutations in the p53 gene. A Phase Ib clinical study in combination with full dose chemotherapy (carboplatin and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin) has also been completed, demonstrating a favorable safety profile in patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). APR-246 is currently in a Phase II clinical trial in patients with HGSOC, and additional Phase Ib clinical studies of APR-246 in other cancer indications are planned.

COTI-2 is an orally available small molecule targeting p53, a tumor suppressor gene that is mutated in over 50% of all cancers. The drug was developed by Clinical Outcome Technologies Inc (now Cotinga Pharmaceuticals) and is believed to act by reactivating mutant p53 and inhibiting the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt. The drug is being evaluated in phase I clinical trials for the treatment of gynecologic cancers and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

4-Isothioureidobutyronitrile (Kevetrin) is a small molecule that has demonstrated the potential of becoming a breakthrough cancer treatment by inducing activation of p53. It is a water-soluble, small molecule and activator of the tumor suppressor protein p53, with potential antineoplastic activity. Upon intravenous administration, 4-thioureidobutyronitrile activates p53 which in turn induces the expressions of p21 and PUMA (p53 up-regulated modulator of apoptosis), thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth and causing tumor cell apoptosis. 4-Thioureidobutyronitrile may be effective in drug-resistant cancers with mutated p53. p53 tumor suppressor, a transcription factor regulating the expression of many stress response genes and mediating various anti-proliferative processes, is often mutated in cancer cells. Cellceutix continues to build upon the successful Phase 1 trial evaluating Kevetrin in treating advanced solid tumors conducted at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Kevetrin, in IV form, was shown to safely modulate, in a non-genotoxic manner, the key tumor suppressor protein p53 as measured through increased expression of p21, a key downstream biomarker of p53. Cellceutix is advancing Kevetrin under an Orphan Drug designation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and childhood retinoblastoma.

NSI-189 is a novel oral drug which was developed by Neuralstem for the treatment of cognitive disorders. Now the drug is being tested in phase II of clinical trials in patients suffering from major depressive disorder. The mechanism of NSI-189 action is explained by its ability to stimulate the generation of new neurons in the hippocampus, however the exact target molecule is still unknown.

Isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) is a molecular biology reagent that induces β-galactosidase activity in many bacteria. This compound is a molecular mimic of allolactose, a lactose metabolite that triggers transcription of the lac operon, and it is therefore used to induce protein expression where the gene is under the control of the lac operator. Like allolactose, IPTG binds to the lac repressor and releases the tetrameric repressor from the lac operator in an allosteric manner, thereby allowing the transcription of genes in the lac operon, such as the gene coding for beta-galactosidase, a hydrolase enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of β-galactosides into monosaccharides. But unlike allolactose, the sulfur atom creates a chemical bond which is non-hydrolyzable by the cell, preventing the cell from metabolizing or degrading the inducer.

ST-101 (also known as ZSET1446) is an azaindolizinone derivative patented by Zenyaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and improvement of cerebral function. In preclinical models, ST-101 stimulates acetylcholine release and improves methamphetamine-induced impairment of recognition memory in mice by activating extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. Impaired neurogenesis observed in olfactory bulbectomized mice was significantly improved by chronic administration with ST-101. We confirmed that administration with mecamylamine, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, inhibits ST-101-enhanced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. ST-101 administration also restored decreased phosphorylation of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase in the dentate gyrus of olfactory bulbectomized mice.

Carnosol is an ortho-diphenolic diterpene with an abietane carbon skeleton with hydroxyl groups at positions C-11 and C-12 and a lactone moiety across the B ring. Carnosol is the product of oxidative degradation of carnosic acid. Carnosol is a naturally occurring phytopolyphenol found in rosemary that functions as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticarcinogen. Carnosol has been shown to inhibit inductions of COX-2 by blocking PKC signaling. Carnosol is an inhibitor of AR and ER α. Several pre-clinical studies have suggested that carnosol selectively targets tumorigenic cell as opposed to non-tumorigenic cells and is safe and tolerable in animals. Carnosol has been shown to elicit chemopreventive effects by (1) blocking the bioactivation of carcinogens, (2) enhancing antioxidant and/or detoxification enzyme activities, (3) suppressing tumor-promoting inflammation, (4) inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis selectively in cancer cells, and (5) blocking tumor angiogenesis and invasion.