Patent ID: 7576101

Claim:
A method of promoting remyelination of nerve cells in a mammal comprising administering to the mammal in need thereof a compound in a remyelinating effective amount, wherein the compound is of formula 1 below: wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, substituted heterocylic, heteroaryl and substituted heteroaryl; R 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, substituted cycloalkenyl, heterocyclic, substituted heterocyclic, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, and R 1 and R 2 together with the nitrogen atom bound to R 2 and the SO 2 group bound to R 1 can form a heterocyclic or a substituted heterocyclic group; R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heterocyclic, substituted heterocyclic and, when R 2 does not form a heterocyclic group with R 1 , R 2 and R 3 together with the nitrogen atom bound to R 2 and the carbon atom bound to R 3 can form a heterocyclic or a substituted heterocyclic group; R 5 is —(CH 2 ) x —Ar—R 5′ where R 5′ is selected from the group consisting of —O—Z—NR 8 R 8′ and —O—Z—R 8″ wherein R 8 and R 8′ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, and substituted heterocyclic, or R 8 and R 8′ are joined to form a heterocycle or a substituted heterocycle, R 8″ is selected from the group consisting of heterocycle and substituted heterocycle, and Z is selected from the group consisting of —C(O)— and —SO 2 —; Ar is aryl, heteroaryl, substituted aryl or substituted heteroaryl; x is an integer of from 1 to 4; and Q is —C(X)NR 7 — wherein R 7 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl; and X is selected from the group consisting of oxygen and sulfur; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.