Ca² release

The endocrine system is a chemical messenger system comprising feedback loops of the hormones released by internal glands of an organism directly into the circulatory system, regulating distant target organs. Hormones are chemicals that serve to communicate between organs and tissues for physiological regulation and behavioral activities. Hormones affect distant cells by binding to specific receptor proteins in the target cell, resulting in a change in cell function.

The endocrine system is concerned with the integration of developmental events proliferation, growth, and differentiation, and the psychological or behavioral activities of metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sleep, digestion, respiration, excretion, mood, stress, lactation, movement, reproduction, and sensory perception caused by hormones. Irregulated hormone release, inappropriate response to signaling or lack of a gland can lead to endocrine disease.

MCE offers a unique collection of 869 endocrinology related compounds targeting varieties of hormone receptors such as thyroid hormone receptor, TSH receptor, GNRH receptor, adrenergic receptor, etc. MCE Endocrinology Compound Library is a useful tool for the discovery of endocrinology drugs.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane binding structures that are released from cells into the surrounding environment and play a crucial role in mediating and regulating intercellular communication related to physiological and pathological processes. EVs are lipid membrane vesicles composed of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. EVs can be divided into several types based on their source, such as extracellular vesicles, microcapsules, and apoptotic vesicles. The size range of exosomes is 30-150nm, which are endocrine in multi vesicular endosomes (MVEs); microvesicles (50-1000nm) are secreted directly through extracellular interactions, thereby releasing plasma membrane vesicles. In contrast, apoptotic bodies are usually larger, ranging in size from 1 to 5 μ m. This is generated during programmed cell death. EV plays a crucial role in transmitting information between cells and influencing the behavior and function of receptor cells.

MCE designs a unique collection of 401 small molecules related to extracellular vesicles (EVs). It is a good tool to be used for research on metabolize, cancer and other diseases.

Medicine Food Homology (MFH) means that some food themselves are medicines and there is no absolute boundary between them. MFH theory combines the function of food and medicine together scientifically and MFH materials can be used both for food and medicine. Besides nutritional value, MFH materials also have the functions in the prevention and treatment of disease and many other healthcare effects. Food as medicines has many benefits because of their safety while taking drugs will bring inevitable side effect to people. In order to ensure the safe use of functional food, National Health Commission of People's Republic of China made specific provisions on MFH items. More than 100 kinds of widely used MFH materials have been released.

Based on MFH items released by National Health Commission, PRC, MCE carefully designs a unique collection of 1709 Medicine Food Homology Compounds with high safety that can be used for high throughput and high content screening for drug discovery.

Ion channel is a membrane-binding enzyme whose catalytic site is an ion conduction pore, which is opened and closed in response to specific environmental stimuli (voltage, ligand concentration, membrane tension, temperature, etc.). Ion channel provide pores for the passive diffusion of ions on the biofilm. Due to their high selectivity for ion, ion channel are generally classified as sodium (Na⁺ ), potassium (K⁺ ), calcium (Ca²⁺ ), chloride (Cl^- ), and non-specific cation channel. Ion channel is an important contributor to cell signal transduction and homeostasis. In addition to electrical signal transduction, ion channel also have many functions: regulating vascular smooth muscle contraction, maintaining normal cell volume, regulating glandular secretion, protein kinase activation, etc. Therefore, dysfunction of ion channel can lead to many diseases, and its mechanism research is particularly important.

MCE designs a unique collection of 1118 small molecules related to ion channel, mainly targeting Na⁺ channel, K⁺ channel, Ca²⁺ channel, GABA receptor, iGluR, etc. It is an essential tool for research of cardiovascular diseases, Nervous system diseases and other diseases.

Cytokines are a kind of low molecular soluble proteins synthesized and secreted by immunogen, mitogen or other factors. They have functions of regulating innate and adaptive immune responses, promoting hematopoiesis, stimulating cell activation, proliferation and differentiation. The process of releasing a large number of cytokines is also called “Cytokine storm”, which can cause damage to many tissues and organs in the body. Cytokine is involved in the pathogenesis of many human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, chronic inflammatory diseases and so on. Cytokine inhibitors are a class of essential compounds that act by directly inhibiting the synthesis and release of cytokine or blocking the binding of cytokine to their receptors. Cytokine inhibitors are important compounds for the study of tumor and autoimmune diseases.

MCE designs a unique collection of 820 cytokine inhibitors, mainly targeting the receptor interleukin (IL), colony-stimulating factor (CSF), interferon (IFN), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), growth factor (GF) and chemokine, which is an effective tool for development and research of anti-cancer, anti-chronic inflammatory diseases and anti-autoimmune diseases compounds.

Calcium channel blockers (CCBs), also called calcium antagonists are compounds that slow the movement of calcium (Ca2+) through calcium channels into the cells of the heart and blood vessel walls. Calcium causes the heart and arteries to squeeze more strongly. By blocking calcium, calcium channel blockers allow blood vessels to relax and open. So calcium channel blockers are usually used to lower blood pressure, relieve chest pain (angina) and control an irregular heartbeat.

MCE supplies a unique collection of 149 calcium channel blockers and antagonists, all of which have the identified inhibitory effect on calcium channel. MCE Calcium Channel Blocker Library is a useful tool for discovery of antihypertensive drugs and cardiovascular disease research.

Normal mitochondrial function is critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis because mitochondria produce ATP and are the major intracellular source of free radicals. Cellular dysfunctions induced by intracellular or extracellular insults converge on mitochondria and induce a sudden increase in permeability on the inner mitochondrial membrane, the so-called mitochondrial membrane permeability transition (MMPT). MMPT is caused by the opening of pores in the inner mitochondrial membrane, matrix swelling, and outer membrane rupture. The MMPT is an endpoint to initiate cell death because the pore opening together with the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c activates the apoptotic pathway of caspases.

The normal operation of mitochondrial function is important for maintaining normal cell death and treatment of mitochondrial diseases. MCE offers a unique collection of 583 compounds with identified and potential mitochondrial protective activity. MCE Mitochondrial Protection Compound Library is critical for drug discovery and development.

Mitochondria plays an important role in many vital processes in cells, including energy production, fatty-acid oxidation and the Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) cycle, calcium signaling, permeability transition, apoptosis and heat production. At present, it is recognized that many diseases are associated with impaired mitochondrial function, such as increased accumulation of ROS and decreased OXPHOS and ATP production. Mitochondria are recognized as one of the most important targets for new drug design in cancer, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases, etc. Some small molecule drugs or biologics can act on mitochondria through various pathways, including ETC inhibition, OXPHOS uncoupling, mitochondrial Ca²⁺ modulation, and control of oxidative stress via decrease or increase of mitochondrial ROS accumulation.

MCE supplies a unique collection of 890 mitochondria-targeted compound that mainly targeting Mitochondrial Metabolism, ATP Synthase, Mitophagy, Reactive Oxygen Species, etc. MCE Mitochondria-Targeted Compound Library is a useful tool for mitochondria-targeted drug discovery and related research.

The TCA cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle)—is also known as the Krebs cycle or the citric acid cycle (CAC). The TCA cycle is a series of chemical reactions that release stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

For decades, the TCA cycle has been considered as the central pathway for cell oxidative phosphorylation to produce energy and biosynthesis. Research shows that TCA cycle is associated with many diseases, especially cancer. In colon carcinoma, liver cancer and other cancers, there are mutations that lead to the imbalance of TCA cycle metabolites, indicating that TCA cycle may be related to the occurrence of cancer. Understanding the role and molecular mechanism of TCA cycle in inhibiting or promoting cancer progression will promote the development of new metabolite-based cancer treatment methods in the future.

MCE supplies a unique collection of 65 compounds related to the TCA cycle. MCE TCA Cycle Compound Library is a useful tool for the TCA cycle related research and anti-cancer drug development.

Inflammasomes are classic pattern recognition receptors for natural immune responses. Inflammasomes are polymeric protein complexes that regulate inflammatory responses and pyrolytic cell death, thereby exerting the host's defense against microorganisms. Inflammasomes sensors are associated with adapter proteins, activating inflammatory caspase-1, releasing inflammatory cytokines and inducing cell death, endowing the host with defense against pathogens. NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4, AIM2, and pyrin are considered typical inflammasomes because they convert cysteine asparaginase-1 into catalytically active capsaicin-1. In addition to infectious diseases, the importance of inflammasomes is also related to various clinical diseases, such as autoimmune diseases, neurodegeneration and metabolic disorders, and the development of cancer. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly regulate the activation and function of inflammasomes to avoid accidental host tissue damage while inducing pathogens to kill the inflammatory response.

MCE designs a unique collection of 67 inflammasomes related compounds. It is a good tool to be used for research on Inflammation, cancer and other diseases.

Viruses are much simpler organisms than bacteria, and they are made from protein substances and nucleic acid. Despite the fact that the exact mechanism of infection is extremely specific to each type of virus, the general scheme of infection can be represented in the following manner: A virus is absorbed at the surface of a host cell and then permeates through the membrane, where it releases nucleic acid from its protein protection. Then the viral nucleic acid begins to replicate, and transcription of the viral genome takes place either in the cytoplasm, or in the nucleus of the host cell. As a result of these events, a large amount of viral nucleic acid and protein are made to make new generations of virions. Therefore, one mechanism of action of antiviral drugs is to interfere with the ability of a virus to get into a target cell. A second mechanism of action is to target the processes that synthesize virus components after a virus invades a cell, such as nucleotide or nucleoside analogs.

MCE designs a unique collection of 1270 anti-virus compounds that target several viruses, including SARS-CoV, HBV, HCV, HIV, HSV and Influenza Virus. It’s an effective tool for anti-virus drug discovery.

The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway controls many cellular processes that are important for the formation and progression of cancer, including apoptosis, transcription, translation, metabolism, angiogenesis, and cell cycle progression. Every major node of this signaling network is activated in a wide range of human tumors. Mechanisms for the pathway activation include activation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) upstream of PI3K, mutation or amplification of PIK3CA encoding p110α catalytic subunit of PI3K, mutation or loss of PTEN tumor suppressor gene, and mutation or amplification of Akt1. Once the pathway is activated, signaling through Akt can stimulate a series of substrates including mTOR which is involved in protein synthesis. Thus, inhibition of this pathway is an attractive concept for cancer prevention and/or therapy. Currently some mTOR inhibitors are approved for several indications, and there are several novel PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors in clinical trials.

MCE owns a unique collection of 568 compounds that can be used for PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway research. PI3K/Akt/mTOR Compound Library also acts as a useful tool for anti-cancer drug discovery.