C16 (PKRi) is a selective inhibitor of the enzyme double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR). PKRi prevents striatal neurodegeneration and improves behavioral outcomes in a chemically induced mouse model of Huntington's disease, the efffect mediated by off-target inhibition of CDKs. PKRi restored memory deficit in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. In a mouse model of colon-26 adenocarcinoma, treatment with C16 lead to a significantly higher level of blood glucose and lower level of serum triglyceride compared with placebo group, which indicates potential use for alleviation of cachexia.