purmorphamine

Purmorphamine is a small molecule purine derivative that acts as a potent agonist of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. It functions by directly binding to and activating the Smoothened (Smo) receptor, which in turn triggers the activation of Gli transcription factors. Purmorphamine is widely utilized as a research tool to study cell fate, particularly in inducing the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts and directing the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into specific neuronal subtypes. In oncology research, it is used to investigate the role of Hh signaling in tumor progression and to counteract the effects of Hh pathway inhibitors, as demonstrated in studies involving endometrial cancer where it can block the inhibitory effects of certain oncogenic protein attenuations.

Other names

2-(1-Naphthoxy)-6-(4-morpholinoanilino)-9-cyclohexylpurine