Abstract: The present invention provides, inter alia, a compound having the structure: Also provided are compositions containing a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and one or more compounds according to the present invention. Further provided are methods for treating or ameliorating the effects of a disorder in a subject, methods of suppressing the toxicity of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in a subject, methods of treating or ameliorating the effects of a disease involving axon degeneration in a subject, and methods for treating or ameliorating the effects of a neurodegenerative disease.

Abstract: The present invention provides, inter alia, methods for identifying a candidate agent that may be effective to treat or ameliorate an effect of a neurodegenerative disease in a subject. These methods include: (a) contacting a wildtype neuron and a mutant neuron with a stressor which is effective to accelerate the degeneration of the mutant neuron; (b) further contacting the wildtype neuron and the mutant neuron from step (a) with a candidate agent; and (c) determining whether the candidate agent lowers a wildtype to mutant survival ratio or increases both wildtype and mutant neuron survival.