Table 1.

Synthetic cardiogenic compounds from screening

Molecule	Assay readout	EC50 (µM)	Representative structure	Activity note	Timing (biological mode) of action	Ref.
DMSO Butyric acid	Beating	nd		Chromatin remodeling; broadly increases transcriptional activity in cells	nd; unselective	[11]
Ascorbic acid	αMHC –eGFP reporter	10.0		Antioxidant; cosubstrate for oxoacid-dependent dioxygenases; potential signaling pathways affected include hypoxia/HIF1α and signaling by EGF repeat domain (e.g., Notch receptors)	D2–6 (not precisely determined)	[35]
Cardiogenols	ANF–eGFP reporter	0.1–1		Induces expression of GATA4 and MEF2c	<D6 (not precisely determined)	[40]
Isoxolyl-serines	αMHC–eGFP reporter	10.0		Designed as PPAR ligand but lacks PPAR agonist activity; thought to act on cardiogenesis pathways	D2–6 (not precisely determined)	[38]
Sulfonyl hydrazones	Nkx2.5–Luc reporter	0.95*		Increases T/Bra+ mesoderm and possibly thereby expands the number of cardiogenic precursors	<D3 (mesoderm induction)	[33]
BIMR1	αMHC–eGFP reporter	2.34	Unpublished	Unknown	D2–4 (mesoderm to cardiogenic mesendoderm)	Unpublished
BIMR2	αMHC–eGFP reporter	1.35	Unpublished	Unknown	D2–4 (mesoderm to cardiogenic mesendoderm)	Unpublished
BIMR3	αMHC–eGFP reporter	1.75	Unpublished	Unknown	D4–6 (cardiogenic mesoderm to cardiac tissue)	Unpublished

Note: The table is an overview of reported synthetic cardiogenic compounds identified using HCS indicating the assay read out used, the EC₅₀ value if available, as well as the compound’s biological mode of action, window of action, and the report reference. Timing is based on the expression of other cardiac markers as studied in the respective reports and <D6 corresponds to induction of genes such as ANF or Nkx2.5.

Abbreviations/symbols: <, before; nd, not determined;

^*EC₅₀ estimated based on published data