Prevention of pancreatic cell degeneration
The present invention relates to compounds and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and formulations comprising the compounds or a pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof that are useful in methods of preventing pancreatic beta cell degeneration or methods of treating a disorder associated with pancreatic beta cell degeneration, such as type I diabetes.
1. A method of treating pancreatic beta cell degeneration by increasing insulin content and preserving islet structure in pancreatic islets in a human in need thereof comprising administering to the human in need thereof an effective amount of a composition comprising a compound of formula:
wherein:
R 1 is an alkyl group;
X is a halogen;
n is an integer from 0 to 5; and
m is 0 or 1;
wherein m+n is less than or equal to 5, thereby treating pancreatic beta cell degeneration.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkyl group is methyl and n is 1.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the halogen is chlorine and m is 1.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is methyl, n is 1, and m is 0.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein R 1 is in the meta position.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein X is chlorine, n is 0, and m is 1.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein X is in the meta position.
8. A method of treating pancreatic beta cell degeneration by increasing insulin content and preserving islet structure in pancreatic islets in a human in need thereof comprising administering to the human in need thereof an effective amount of a composition comprising a compound of formula:
wherein R 1 is an alkyl group and n is an integer from 0 to 5, thereby treating pancreatic beta cell degeneration.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein R 1 is methyl, n is 1.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein R 1 is in the meta position.
11. A method of treating pancreatic beta cell degeneration by increasing insulin content and preserving islet structure in pancreatic islets in a human in need thereof comprising administering to the human in need thereof an effective amount of an oral composition comprising 0.5 mg to 20 mg per kg body weight of a compound of formula:
thereby treating pancreatic beta cell degeneration.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the oral composition comprises 10% to 95% of the compound of the formula.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the oral composition is a solution, suspension, emulsion, tablet, pill, capsule, or sustained-release formulation.