Kynurenine is a metabolite of the amino acid L-tryptophan used in the production of niacin. Kynurenine is synthesized by the enzyme tryptophan dioxygenase, which is made primarily but not exclusively in the liver, and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, which is made in many tissues in response to immune activation. Kynurenine and its further breakdown products carry out diverse biological functions, including dilating blood vessels during inflammation and regulating the immune response. Evidence suggests that increased kynurenine production may precipitate depressive symptoms associated with interferon treatment for hepatitis C. Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are associated with imbalances in the enzymes that break down kynurenine. Kynurenine production is increased in Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease where its metabolites are associated with cognitive deficits and depressive symptoms.

D-Arabinose (D-Ara) is a reducing rare sugar. It is a substrate for by D-arabinose dehydrogenase (ARA) and participated in D-erythroascorbic acid synthesis in S. cerevisiae. D-Erythroascorbic acid (eAsA) is an important antioxidant molecule in yeast. It was found, that ARA 2p, not ARA 1p, mainly contributes to the production of eAsA. Recently was published the first report of biological of D-Ara. It was compared the growth inhibitory effects of aldohexose stereoisomers against the animal model Caenorhabditis elegans cultured in monoxenic conditions with Escherichia coli as food. The inhibitory effect of D-Ara was also observed in animals cultured in axenic conditions using a chemically defined medium; this excluded the possible influence of E. coli. Among these stereoisomers, the D-Ara showed particularly strong growth inhibition. The assumption was made pointing, that the inhibition could be induced by multiple mechanisms, for example, disturbance of D-ribose and D-fructose metabolism.

Phosphorylcholine (ChoP) is a small zwitterionic amino alcohol, which is composed of a negatively charged phosphate bonded to a small, positively charged choline group. Phosphorylcholine is the precursor metabolite of choline in the glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism pathways and in intermediate between choline and cytidine-diphosphate choline in the glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway. Phosphorylcholine is an interesting compound from an immunologic point of view, being an immunodominant determinant of pneumococcal teichoic acids and also a major prerequisite for proinflammatory effects of PAF and PAF-like lipids where PC is a common denominator. PC is also a component of some bacteria, apoptotic cells, and OxLDL, which, if exposed, is immunogenic. PC has several properties that could in principle both promote and protect against disease, depending on the pathogen and type of inflammatory reaction. In the field of interventional cardiology, phosphorylcholine is used as a synthetic polymer-based coating, applied to drug-eluting stents, to prevent the occurrence of coronary artery restenosis. To date, more than 120,000 Phosphorylcholine-coated stents have been implanted in patients with no apparent deleterious effect in the long term compared to bare metal stent technologies

Zaurategrast (CDP323) is an ethyl ester prodrug of CT7758, a potent carboxylic acid antagonist of integrin alpha4-beta1 (α4β1) or very late antigen 4 (VLA4). CDP323 was under development with UCB and Biogen Idec for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Its development was discontinued in 2009 based on inadequate interim efficacy data in a phase II clinical trial.

Pevonedistat (MLN4924), discovered by Millennium, is a small molecule inhibitor of the NEDD8-Activating Enzyme (NAE), a key component of the protein homeostasis pathway. MLN4924 is a mechanism-based inhibitor of NAE and creates a covalent NEDD8-MLN4924 adduct catalyzed by the enzyme. The NEDD8-MLN4924 adduct resembles NEDD8 adenylate, the first intermediate in the NAE reaction cycle, but cannot be further utilized in subsequent intraenzyme reactions. The stability of the NEDD8-MLN4924 adduct within the NAE active site blocks enzyme activity, thereby accounting for the potent inhibition of the NEDD8 pathway by MLN4924. This drug is in phase II clinical trial for the treatment acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. In addition in phase I for treatment acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The ability of MLN4924 to cross the blood-brain barrier, its low toxicity, and clinical efficacy in other cancers suggests that this drug is an attractive treatment against glioblastomas.

Pafuramidine or DB289, [2,5-bis-(4-amidinophenyl)furan bis-O-methylamidoxime] is a pro-drug of DB75, [2,5-bis(4-amidinophenyl)furan] also known as furamidine. The biotransformation process of DB289 to DB75 in the human liver consists of three O-demethylation reactions catalyzed by the Cyp4F enzyme subfamily and three N-dehydroxylation reactions catalyzed by cytrochrome b5 and NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase. DB289 was studied for therapeutic treatment against human African trypanosomiasis, Pneumocystis pneumonia and malaria. In November 2006, Immtech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had granted orphan drug designation for pafuramidine (DB289) to treat Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP), a common life-threatening opportunistic infection in HIV/AIDS and other immunosuppressed patients. Despite the high efficacy of DB289 in patients, the mechanism of action of DB75 is unknown. The mechanism of antimicrobial activity of diamidine compounds is incompletely understood. They undergo active uptake by purine transporter systems in trypanosomes and their mechanism of action may involve interference with DNA-associated enzymes inhibition of heme crystallization11 or/and collapse of the transmitochondrial membrane potential.