Clioquinol and other hydroxyquinoline derivatives inhibit Aβ(1–42) oligomer assembly

Abstract Soluble oligomeric amyloid-β (Aβ) species are toxic to many cell types and are a putative etiological factor in Alzheimer's disease. The NINDS-Custom Collection of 1040 drugs and biologically active compounds was robotically screened for inhibitors of Aβ oligomer formation with a single-site biotinylated Aβ(1–42) oligomer assembly assay. Several quinoline-like compounds were identified with IC 50 's in vitro are unrelated to their chelating activity. Crosslinking studies suggest that clioquinol acts at the stage of trimer formation. These preliminary data may suggest that 8-OH quinolines have the potential for suppressing Aβ oligomer formation which should be considered when assessing the effects of these compounds in animal models and clinical trials.