alpha-Ketoglutarate is a key molecule in the TCA cycle. It can be produced from glutamate by oxidative deamination via glutamate dehydrogenase and as a product of pyridoxal phosphate-dependent transamination reactions (mediated by branched-chain amino acid transaminases) in which glutamate is a common amino donor.

α-Galactosylceramide is a synthetic glycolipid with antitumorial and immunostimulatory and is a very potent NKT cell agonist and binds effectively to CD1d. The complex of α-Galactosylceramide and CD1d can bind to the T cell antigen receptor of NKT cells.

Leteprinim is an hypoxanthine derivative that stimulates in vitro neurite outgrowth and the production of adenosine and neurotrophins from astrocytes.