Patent ID: 8852937

Claim:
A method for agonizing the hedgehog pathway in a cell, comprising contacting the cell with a hedgehog agonist in an amount sufficient to modulate proliferation or differentiation of the cell, wherein the hedgehog agonist is represented in general formula (XI): wherein, as valence and stability permit, Ar represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl ring; X is selected from —C(═O)—, —C(═S)—, —S(O 2 )—, —S(O)—, and a methylene group optionally substituted with 1-2 lower alkyls; Y is absent for each occurrence; Z is absent or represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl, carbocyclyl, heterocyclyl, or heteroaryl ring, or a lower alkyl, nitro, cyano, or halogen substituent; R represents, independently for each occurrence, H or substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl; Cy′ represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, or cycloalkyl, including polycyclic groups; M represents, independently for each occurrence, a substituted or unsubstituted methylene group, or two adjacent M taken together represent substituted or unsubstituted ethene or ethyne; Cy represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, or cycloalkyl, including polycyclic groups; i represents 0 for all occurrences except in the sequence NMiYAr, where i represents 1; and k represents 0.