| abstract |
Compositions and methods for treating mitochondrial disorders are provided. The compositions include compounds having a mitochondrial targeting moiety, for example a lipophilic cation. Certain compounds are effective for increasing the ratio of phosphocreatine/creatine in a host, for example a mammal. Other compounds decrease the ratio of phophocreatine/creating in a host. An exemplary compound is defined by the following structure (Formula Ia): wherein R1 is H or phosphate and the double bond is between N1 and C1 or between N2 and C1; R2 is a mitochondrial targeting moiety; R3 an alkyl, alkylaryl, alkylheteroaryl spacer group, a cleavable linker, or absent; R4 is H or an alkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl group; and R5 is alkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl; or N1 C1, and N3 together form a heterocyclic ring containing at least 5 atoms, wherein N1, N3, and R1-R5 are as defined above, or N3 and R5 together form a heterocyclic ring containing at least four atoms; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof. |