title: Cytoprotective small molecule modulators of endoplasmic reticulum stress.
abstract: Cellular health depends on the normal function of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to fold, assemble, and modify critical proteins to maintain viability. When the ER cannot process proteins effectively, a condition known as ER stress ensues. When this stress is excessive or prolonged, cell death via apoptotic pathways is triggered. Interestingly, most major diseases have been shown to be intimately linked to ER stress, including diabetes, stroke, neurodegeneration, and many cancers. Thus, controlling ER stress presents a significant strategy for drug development for these diseases. The goal of this review is to present various small molecules that alleviate ER stress with the intention that they may serve as useful starting points for therapeutic agent development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA.
authors.forename: Soumyabrata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Munshi
authors.affiliation: Neurodon LLC, 5700 Tanager St., Schererville, IN 46375, USA. Electronic address: rdahl@neurodon.net.
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dahl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059865:Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D054852:Small Molecule Libraries
keywords: Drug discovery; ER stress; Endoplasmic reticulum; Medicinal chemistry; Small molecules