centrally

GABA receptors are a class of receptors that respond to the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system. There are two classes of GABA receptors: GABAA and GABAB. GABAA receptors are ligand-gated ion channels (also known as ionotropic receptors), whereas GABAB receptors are G protein-coupled receptors (also known asmetabotropic receptors). GABA receptors are significant drug targets in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders such as epilepsy, insomnia, and anxiety, as well as in anesthesia in surgical operations.

MCE offers a unique collection of 209 GABA receptors inhibitors and activators, which is an efficient tool for neuropsychiatric disorders drugs discovery.

Nucleotide metabolism is central to cancer aggressiveness, underpinning uncontrolled proliferation, chemotherapy resistance, immune evasion, and metastasis. It is transcriptionally regulated by oncogenes (e.g., MYC) and tumor suppressors (e.g., pRb). Nucleotide imbalance and nucleoside degradation further regulate cell state transitions, especially following replication stress. Additionally, secretion of nucleotides/nucleosides into the tumor microenvironment modulates immune responses and influences treatment efficacy. Therefore, nucleotide metabolites have roles in disease response and indication in cancer research, and can be utilized to develop cancer-related mechanisms and drugs.

MCE can provide 82 metabolites produced by nucleotide metabolic pathways, which can be used for disease mechanism research and drug research.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the complex network of brain microvessels. It protects the brain from the external bloodstream environment and supplies the brain with the required nutrients for normal function. However, blood-brain barrier is also the obstacle to deliver beneficial drugs to treat CNS (central nervous system) diseases or brain tumors, as it has the least permeable capillaries in the entire body due to physical barriers (tight junctions). Therefore, it is crucial to discover drugs which can cross this barrier for the treatment of brain-based diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and epilepsy.

MCE offers a unique collection of 1,096 compounds with confirmed CNS-Penetrant property. It’s a useful tool for the discovery of drugs used for brain diseases, such as brain tumors, mental disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Neuropeptides are small proteins produced and released by neurons through the regulation of secretory pathways, expressed in neurons and have transmitter or co-transmitter functions, and are used as nerve substrates. Neuropeptides are by far the largest and most diverse signaling molecules in the brain and have been implicated in the development of diseases and drugs. Neuropeptides are involved in inflammatory and immune diseases and have an impact on epithelial, vascular, and connective tissue cells proliferation and tissue repair. Studies have shown that neuropeptides are particularly important when the nervous system is challenged, such as stress, injury, or substance abuse. Substance P is a neuropeptide that acts as a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator in the central nervous system and is currently in clinical research and has been shown to be involved in inflammatory processes and pain.

MCE can provide 126 neuropeptides that can be used for scientific research.

Exosomes are small membrane vesicles of endocytic origin that are secreted by most cells in culture. Exosomes contain nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, amino acids, and metabolites, etc. Their diverse constituents can reflect their cell of origin. Exosomes are associated with immune responses, viral pathogenicity, pregnancy, cardiovascular diseases, central nervous system-related diseases, and cancer progression. Proteins, metabolites, and nucleic acids delivered by exosomes into recipient cells effectively alter their biological response. Such exosome-mediated responses can be disease promoting or restraining.

The biology of exosomes in disease is still emerging, and the number of studies addressing their utility in the diagnosis and treatment of various pathologies has increased substantially. MCE supplies a unique collection of 53 compounds with the activity of inhibiting or stimulating exsomes secretion/biosynthesis. MCE Exosomes Compound Library is a useful tool for exsomes research.

The incidence and significance of central nervous system diseases are increasing at an alarming rate all over the world. Although substantial research efforts have been applied to develop new CNS-active drugs, only a few CNS disorders are addressed satisfactorily, while the remaining ones pose significant clinical challenges. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability is one of the most important limiting factors in the design and development of novel CNS-targeted pharmaceuticals for the treatment of neurological disorders.

Carefully selected from the HTS Compound Collection to meet the parameters optimized for high BBB-permeability, our CNS Focused Screening Library comprising over 30,300 structurally-diverse and potentially CNS-active screening compounds. This original Screening Compound Library is aimed at supporting CNS drug design projects and HTS efforts in search for novel neurotherapeutics.

5-HT receptors, also called Serotonin receptors, are a group of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs) found in the central and peripheral nervous systems. These receptors are now classified into seven families, 5-HT1–7, comprising a total of 14 structurally and pharmacologically distinct mammalian 5-HT receptor subtypes. The 5-HT receptors influence various biological and neurological processes such as aggression, anxiety, appetite, cognition, learning, memory, mood, nausea, sleep, andthermoregulation. The serotonin receptors are the target of a variety of pharmaceutical drugs, including many antidepressants, antipsychotics, anorectics, antiemetics, gastroprokinetic agents, antimigraine agents, hallucinogens, and entactogens.

MCE 5-HT Receptor Compound Library consists of 405 5-HT receptor inhibitors and activators, which can be used for neuropsychiatric disorders drugs discovery.

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 26 key intermediates of the TCA cycle, which can be utilized for TCA-related research and metabolomics identification studies.

Cell proliferation, the increase in cell numbers resulting from cell division, is a complex and tightly regulated process. Cell proliferation is regulated by coordinated entry into the cell cycle, and changes in proliferation are closely linked to disease development. Evolutionary dynamics links tumor growth and progression with cell proliferation, cell death, and mutation rates. In addition, cell proliferation is central to degenerative diseases, the development of which is often accompanied by accelerated multiplication of cancer cells. Therefore, assays of cell proliferation levels are frequently used for laboratory research purposes and increasingly for clinical assessment of tumor aggressiveness and potentially to guide care. It has been shown that multiple key targets are collectively involved in regulating the process of cell proliferation, such as CDK, E2F, pRB, β-Catenin, and others.

MCE collects 3,398 compounds that target and regulate key targets of cell proliferation, which can be used in studies of cell proliferation mechanisms and drug discovery.

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 72 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.

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterised by progressive dysfunction and death of neurons, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Neuroprotection is an approach to preserve neurons so that neurons cannot be hurt by different pathological factors in neurodegenerative diseases. Neuroprotectors are some agonists and antagonists targeting some key targets in neuroprotactive signal pathways, such as calcium and sodium channel blockers, GABA receptor agonists, NMDA receptor Antagonists, etc. Current neuroprotectors cannot reverse existing damage, but they may protect against further nerve damage and slow down any degeneration of the central nervous system (CNS) and still play important roles in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

MCE offers a unique collection of 1,748 compounds with potential neuroprotective activities. These compounds mainly act on some key targets in neuroprotetive signal pathways, such as calcium channel, sodium channel, adenosine A1 receptor, etc. MCE Neuroprotective Compopund Library is a useful tool in neuroprotective drug discovery.

The Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway is central to signaling by cytokine receptors, a superfamily of more than 30 transmembrane proteins that recognize specific cytokines, and is critical in blood formation and immune response. Canonical JAK/STAT signaling begins with the association of cytokines and their corresponding transmembrane receptors. Activated JAKs then phosphorylate latent STAT monomers, leading to dimerization, nuclear translocation, and DNA binding. In mammals, there are four JAKs (JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, TYK2) and seven STATs (STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5a, STAT5b, STAT6). Since the JAK/STAT pathway plays a major role in many fundamental processes, such as apoptosis and inflammation, dysfunctional proteins in the pathway may lead to a number of diseases. For example, alterations in JAK/STAT signalling can result in cancer and diseases affecting the immune system, such as severe combined immunodeficiency disorder (SCID).

MCE provides 704 compounds that can be used in the study of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway and related diseases.

Most of molecules enter or leave cells mainly via membrane transport proteins, which play important roles in several cellular functions, including cell metabolism, ion homeostasis, signal transduction, the recognition process in the immune system, energy transduction, etc. There are three major types of transport proteins, ATP-powered pumps, channel proteins and transporters. Transport proteins such as channels and transporters play important roles in the maintenance of intracellular homeostasis, and mutations in these transport protein genes have been identified in the pathogenesis of a number of hereditary diseases. In the central nervous system, ion channels have been linked to, but not limited to, many diseases such asataxias, paralyses, epilepsies, and deafness. This indicates the roles of ion channels in the initiation and coordination of movement, sensory perception, and encoding and processing of information. Ion channels are a major class of drug targets in drug development.

MCE designs a unique collection of 2,174 smal-molecule modulators that can be used for the research of Ion Channel and Membrane Transporter or high throughput screening (HTS) related drug discovery.

Tonifying traditional Chinese medicines occupy a central position in the traditional medical system, with their core value lying in the regulation of the body's functional state. Modern pharmacological studies have confirmed that these medicinal materials and their monomeric components possess multiple biological activities, including bidirectional immune regulation, anti-aging and lifespan extension, neuroprotection and cognitive enhancement, as well as hematopoietic and metabolic regulation. According to the traditional Chinese medicine theory of “strengthening the body’s resistance and consolidating the foundation”, tonifying medicines are mainly classified into four major categories: Qi-tonifying, Blood-tonifying, Yin-tonifying, and Yang-tonifying. This compound library strictly follows this classification system for compound collection.

Monomeric compounds derived from traditional Chinese medicines demonstrate excellent drug-like properties. They naturally possess structural diversity and clearly defined pharmacological activities, which help improve screening success rates and make them ideal tools for studying multi-target synergistic effects. This library contains 1,036 compounds, providing a material basis for investigating synergistic interactions among compounds (network pharmacology) and facilitating the development of multi-target therapeutic strategies for complex diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic syndrome.

With the aging population and increasing competitive pressures, neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) have become a serious medical challenge in modern society, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, brain tumors, and multiple sclerosis. However, the success rate of CNS drug development remains remarkably low, primarily due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a semipermeable barrier structure that surrounds the microvasculature of the CNS. In capillaries, the wedged endothelial cells are tightly packed and wedge-shaped, lining the interior of the vessels to form extensive tight junctions. Along with a range of receptors, transporters, efflux pumps, and other cellular components, this barrier regulates the entry and exit of molecules between the bloodstream and the brain. The intact BBB blocks the passage of most blood-borne substances into the brain, preventing nearly 100% of large-molecule drugs and over 98% of small-molecule drugs from entering. Compared to non-CNS drugs, physicochemical properties such as hydrogen bonds, lipophilicity, and molecular weight significantly influence a compound's ability to cross the BBB. Using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to predict BBB permeability, a predicted value greater than 0.75 indicates that the compound has strong potential to cross the BBB, providing a promising starting point for CNS drug discovery.

Protein lactylation, an emerging post-translational modification identified in recent years, plays a critical role in linking cellular metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic regulation, and signaling networks. Based on a systematic framework encompassing lactate metabolism, lactylation, and downstream signaling pathways, this compound library comprehensively targets multiple regulatory layers, including histone modification enzymes (such as p300 and HDACs), key glycolytic enzymes (such as PKM2, LDHA, and GAPDH), transcriptional regulators (such as STAT3, HMGB1, and p53), as well as central signaling pathway nodes including HIF-1α, NF-κB, and PI3K-AKT-mTOR. This integrated design enables a comprehensive representation of the regulatory roles of lactylation across the “metabolism–epigenetics–signaling” axis.

MCE has assembled a collection of 5,860 known bioactive compounds and potential functional molecules, making this library suitable for a wide range of applications, including high-throughput drug screening, inhibitor identification, and mechanistic studies. It can be used to systematically evaluate the functional roles of lactylation in biological processes such as tumor metabolism, immune regulation, and inflammatory responses, and to efficiently identify small-molecule candidates with regulatory potential, thereby facilitating the development of innovative therapeutics targeting the interplay between metabolism and epigenetic regulation.

Neuronal Signaling is involved in the regulation of the mechanisms of the central nervous system (CNS) such as its structure, function, genetics and physiology as well as how this can be applied to understand diseases of the nervous system. Every information processing system in the CNS is composed of neurons and glia, neurons have evolved unique capabilities for intracellular signaling (communication within the cell) and intercellular signaling (communication between cells). G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), including 5-HT receptor, histamine receptor, opioid receptor, etc. are the largest class of sensory proteins and are important therapeutic targets in Neuronal Signaling. Besides, Notch signaling, such as β- and γ-secretase, also plays multiple roles in the development of the CNS including regulating neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation, survival, self-renewal and differentiation. GPCR dysfunction caused by receptor mutations and environmental challenges contributes to many neurological diseases. Notch signaling in neurons, glia, and NSCs is also involved in pathological changes that occur in disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and CNS tumors. Thus, targeting Neuronal Signaling, such as notch signaling and GPCRs, can be used as therapeutic interventions for several different CNS disorders.

MCE designs a unique collection of 3,802 Neuronal Signaling-related compounds that act as a useful tool for the research of neuronal regulation and neuronal diseases.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are membrane proteins in humans and one of the most important targets in drug discovery. Approximately 35% of launched drugs are targeted GPCRs, making them a crucial class of targets in drug discovery.

The orthosteric site of a GPCR is its endogenous ligand’s (such as neurotransmitters or hormones) binding site. This site plays a central role in signal transduction. Small molecules binding to this site typically contain a protonatable amino group, enabling the formation of salt bridges or hydrogen bonds with acidic residues in the binding pocket. In contrast, the allosteric site does not directly initiate signaling but modulates the signal intensity of the GPCR by altering or stabilizing the conformation of the orthosteric site. Small molecules binding to the allosteric site often contain multiple aromatic rings to occupy hydrophobic pockets and achieve their functional effects.

MCE has collected over 7,113 reported bioactive molecules targeting GPCRs, covering Class A, B, and C GPCRs. These small molecules were subjected to AI representation to extract 2D and 3D features. Subsequently, we do screening by AI score based on similarity to identify molecules in diversity library highly similar to the reported bioactive molecules in both 2D and 3D, with a threshold greater than 0.7. Further screening based on cLogP was applied to select molecules with good lipophilicity, which facilitates the binding of small molecules to GPCRs. This diversity library can be widely applied to the discovery of compounds targeting GPCR proteins.

This product is serum-free and supports cell growth and survival. It has been associated with the growth and expression of neuroblastoma, and with post-mitotic neuronal survival and expression in primary cultures of both the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS). This product is formulated with water-for-injection. The 5 mL is defined as the base specification. All larger sizes correspond to incremental volumes of this base.

MCE Bi-27 Serum-free Supplement (50×), Insulin-Free is a customized formulation developed by removing insulin from the standard Bi-27 formulation. As a neuronal cell culture supplement, it is specifically designed to support the growth and maintenance of hippocampal neurons and other central nervous system (CNS) neurons in applications where the presence of insulin may interfere with experimental outcomes.