Dignity Health

Virginia Commonwealth University

Research Triangle Institute

Targacept, Inc.

Catholic Healthcare West

Dignity Health Doing Business As St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute

Dignity Health Doing Business As St. Joseph's Hospital Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute

Ronald J Lukas

Fu-Dong Shi

Timothy Vollmer

Hernan A Navarro

S Wayne Mascarella

Bruce Edward Blough

Ana Zamfira Muresan

M Imad Damaj

Frank Ivy Carroll

Merouane Bencherif

F Ivy Carroll

The present invention relates to methods of treating and/or ameliorating the severity of inflammation and autoimmunity in the central nervous system (CNS). In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of treating multiple sclerosis by administering a therapeutically effective dosage of nicotine, or a pharmaceutical equivalent, analog, derivative, or salt thereof.

Nicotinic attenuation of CNS inflammation and autoimmunity

The invention provides hydroxybupropion analogs capable of inhibiting the reuptake of one or more monoamines and/or acting as antagonists at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The compounds may selectively bind to one or more monoamine transporters, including those for dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin and/or may selectively bind to one or more nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes. Such compounds may be used to treat conditions that are responsive to modification of monoamine levels and/or antagonism of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, including drug dependency, depression, and obesity.

Hydroxybupropion analogues for treating drug dependence

The invention provides hydroxybupropion analogues capable of inhibiting the reuptake of one or more monoamines and/or acting as antagonists at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The compounds may selectively bind to one or more monoamine transporters, including those for dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin and/or may selectively bind to one or more nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes. Such compounds may be used to treat conditions that are responsive to modification of monoamine levels and/or antagonism of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, including drug dependency, depression, and obesity.

A chimeric nAChR receptor subunit polypeptide having a substitution of at least about 15% of the native amino acid sequence of the subunit in the area of the C-terminal cytoplasmic domain is provided, as well as polynucleotides encoding the polypeptide. Vectors, host cells, and related methods for evaluating compounds are also provided.

Chimeric nicotinic receptor subunits

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Ronald J Lukas