Discovery of benzimidazole derivatives as modulators of mitochondrial function: A potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

In this study, we designed a library of compounds based on the structures of well-known ligands of the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO), one of the putative components of the mPTP. We performed diverse mitochondrial functional assays to assess their ability to restore cells from Aβ-induced toxicity in vitro and in vivo. Among tested compounds, compound 25 effectively improved cognitive function in animal models of AD.