This invention provides novel fullerene derivatives, particularly fullerene derivatives that are water-soluble, that modulate the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and/or calmodulin. The invention provides methods for modulating NOS activity and particularly provides methods for inhibiting NOS activity, by contacting one or more fullerene derivatives of this invention with cells or tissue that exhibit NOS activity. In a specific embodiment, the invention provides water-soluble fullerene derivatives that are selective inhibitors of neuronal NOS or iNOS. Preferred water soluble fullerenes have substituents that contain one or more amine groups, amine cationic groups. More generally, water-soluble fullerenes of this invention contain one or more polar, one or more charged or more zwitterionic groups
该发明提供了新型
富勒烯衍
生物,特别是
水溶性的
富勒烯衍
生物,可以调节
一氧化氮合酶(NOS)和/或
钙调蛋白的活性。该发明提供了调节NOS活性的方法,特别是提供了通过将本发明的一种或多种
富勒烯衍
生物与表现出NOS活性的细胞或组织接触来抑制NOS活性的方法。在一个具体实施例中,该发明提供了具有选择性抑制神经元NOS或iNOS的
水溶性
富勒烯衍
生物。首选的
水溶性
富勒烯具有含有一个或多个胺基团、胺阳离子基团的取代基。更一般地,本发明的
水溶性
富勒烯含有一个或多个极性、一个或多个带电或者一个或多个带电的离子性基团。