studying biological processes

Cell death is a core biological process that maintains homeostasis in multicellular organisms, playing a dual role in life activities. On one hand, cell death participates in physiological processes such as cell renewal and damage repair through precise regulation; on the other hand, it actively eliminates damaged, infected, or cancerous cells, thereby blocking pathological progression and preserving organism health. Cell death not only ensures the normal development and growth regulation of organisms but is also closely associated with the occurrence and development of various diseases. Numerous studies have shown that specific types of programmed cell death play critical roles in disease progression, providing an important theoretical basis for developing novel therapeutic strategies by regulating cell death pathways.

MCE offers 22 types of commonly used cell death inhibitors, such as apoptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and cuproptosis, suitable for use as positive controls in the study of novel cell death mechanisms.

Coagulation, also known as clotting, is the process in which blood changes from a liquid to a solid gel to form a blood clot. Thrombin, which is accurately and evenly generated in the injured part of blood vessels, is a key effector enzyme of the blood coagulation system and participates in many important biological processes, such as platelet activation, fibrinogen conversion to fibrin network, coagulation feedback amplification, etc. At the same time, to avoid the accidental formation of thrombus in the body, there is also an anticoagulant mechanism that inhibits blood coagulation.

Normal coagulation mechanism represents a balance between the pro-coagulant pathway in the injured site and anti-coagulant pathway beyond it. The blood coagulation system may be out of balance during the perioperative period or critical illness, which may lead to thrombosis or excessive bleeding. Therefore, the physiological study of coagulation balance is an important basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of the abnormal coagulation process.

MCE supplies a unique collection of 1,437 compounds targeting key proteins in coagulation and anti-coagulation system. MCE Coagulation and Anti-coagulation Compound Library is a useful tool for study the mechanism of coagulation and anticoagulation.

Amino acids are indispensable building blocks for life activities and are widely involved in key biological processes such as cell signal transduction, energy metabolism, gene expression regulation, and neurotransmitter synthesis. As components of proteins, 20 kinds of amino acids make up over one million kinds of proteins in the human body. These amino acids can be classified into nine types of "essential amino acids" that the human body cannot synthesize on its own and must obtain from food, as well as eleven types of "non-essential amino acids" that the human body can synthesize on its own.

MCE offers 20 kinds of amino acids provided which can be applied in research fields such as the study of amino acid metabolic processes, metabolite identification, food/cosmetic ingredient research, and the development of nutritional supplements.

Research has shown that drugs targeting aging pathways demonstrate promising potential in models of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, osteoarthritis, and various malignancies. This suggests that intervening in the biological processes of aging may enable synergistic prevention and treatment of multiple chronic diseases. Against the backdrop of the gradual elucidation of core aging mechanisms-including cellular senescence, telomere attrition, epigenetic dysregulation, and chronic inflammation anti-aging research has shifted from traditional phenotypic interventions toward targeting key pathways that regulate biological age.

The MCE Anti-Aging Compound Library Mini is precisely built upon this cutting-edge concept. It focuses on aging-related targets validated through genetic or functional studies, comprising 381 compounds designed to provide systematic research tools for aging biology and intervention strategy development. The library covers core mechanisms such as mTOR, SIRT, energy metabolism, clearance of senescent cells, optimization of mitochondrial function, and telomere maintenance. For each target, 1-5 compounds with clear activity and strong representativeness have been carefully selected, spanning the entire translational spectrum from preclinical tool molecules to clinically investigational drugs.

The RNA-targeted bioactive compound library is a high-quality collection of small molecules specifically designed and curated to target RNA structures and functions. It is widely applied in cutting-edge drug discovery and life science research. Unlike traditional strategies that focus on protein targets, RNA-targeted compounds can directly modulate various functional RNA molecules by influencing their splicing, translation, stability, or structural conformation, thereby enabling precise intervention in key biological processes. In the field of drug development, these compounds provide a novel approach to addressing previously “undruggable” targets and have demonstrated significant potential in areas such as oncology, antiviral therapies, and neurodegenerative diseases. For example, by targeting disease-associated RNA structural domains or regulating the aberrant expression of non-coding RNAs, these compounds can effectively inhibit disease progression or restore normal cellular function. In mechanistic studies, RNA-targeted compounds serve as valuable chemical biology tools to elucidate the roles of RNA in gene expression regulation, cellular signaling pathways, and disease development.

The MCE RNA-targeted bioactive compound library contains 857 compounds, sourced from databases such as TargetRX Atlas and R-BIND. The library features excellent structural diversity and biological activity, making it suitable for high-throughput screening (HTS), target validation, phenotypic screening, and lead compound discovery. It represents a valuable resource for RNA-related research and innovative drug development.

Traditional Chinese medicine provides abundant natural resources for medicinal compounds, which are often considered effective and safe for drug discovery. Traditional Chinese medicine is based on the principle of "multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways", and naturally has multiple pharmacological effects. As herbal medicine, the secondary plant metabolites in Chinese herbal medicine play an important role in alleviating many diseases in Traditional medicine and folk use. Therefore, the identification of traditional Chinese medicine derived compounds is also an important process in drug development and a necessary factor in dissecting the overall mechanism of action of traditional Chinese medicine. FDA listed compounds have completed extensive preclinical and clinical studies, exhibiting good biological activity, safety, and bioavailability.

MCE designs a unique collection of 308 FDA/EMA/NMPA/PMDA etc-approved traditional Chinese medicine active compounds, including flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, and other structural types. It is a good tool for drug reuse and screening drugs from traditional Chinese medicine sources.

Biotoxins, also referred to as natural toxins, are chemical substances produced by plants, animals, or microorganisms that exert toxic effects on other living organisms. Due to unique biological activities, biotoxins have been widely applied in molecular biology, physiology, pharmacology, and the clinical diagnosis and treatment of various human diseases, becoming an important source of natural drug development. Biotoxins can specifically bind to and interfere with intracellular signaling molecules or receptors, thereby altering cellular signaling processes. Leveraging this characteristic, biotoxins can be used to study the regulatory mechanisms of cellular signaling pathways. For example, neurotoxins such as snake venom peptides can be used to investigate the functional regulation of neurotransmitter receptors and ion channels. Additionally, biotoxins have demonstrated significant potential in drug development across various fields, including neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, anticoagulation, and anti-cancer therapies. With advancements in high throughput screening, structural optimization, and antibody-toxin conjugation technologies, numerous biotoxins or their structural analogs have been successfully brought to market, such as Ziconotide, Captopril, Bivalirudin, and Eptifibatide.

MCE offers 90 types of biotoxins, including neurotoxins, cardiotoxins, mycotoxins, and more.

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.