Treating or Preventing Pain Using Spicamycin Derivatives

A pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing pain in a subject, comprising a treatment or prevention effective amount of a compound of Formula II:

• wherein R1 and R2 are different from each other and represent H or OH, and R represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or cycloalkyl;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, prodrug, or optical isomer thereof;
• a compound of Formula III:
• wherein R1 and R2 are different from each other and represent H or OH, and R′ represents (1) a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or alkenyl having one or two carbon atoms, or (2) H;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, prodrug, or optical isomer thereof;
• or
• a compound of Formula IV:
• wherein R1 and R2 are different from each other and represent H or OH,
• each R″ group can independently be an H or alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or cycloalkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms substituted with 1 to 3 independent R3 or R4;
• each R3 is independently heterocyclyl or heteroaryl, either optionally substituted with 1-3 independent R5;
• each R4 is independently halogen, oxygen, sulfur, CF3, SR6, OR6, OC(O)R6, NR6R6, NR6R7, COOR6, C(O)R6, or C(O)NR6R6;
• each R5 is independently C1-C10 alkyl;
• halo;
• haloalkyl;
• SR6;
• OR6;
• NR6R6;
• COOR6;
• NO2;
• CN;
• C(O)R6;
• C(O)NR6R6;
• OC(O)R6;
• S(O)2R6;
• S(O)2NR6R6;
• NR6C(O)NR6R6;
• NR6C(O)R6;
• NR6(COOR6);
• NR6C(O)R8;
• NR6S(O)2NR6R6;
• NR6S(O)2R6;
• NR6S(O)2R8;
• or C1-C10 alkyl substituted with R4 or R8;
• each R6 is independently H, C1-C10 alkyl;
• C2-C10 alkenyl;
• C2-C10 alkynyl;
• C3-C10 cycloalkyl;
• R8;
• or C1-C10 alkyl substituted with R8;
• each R7 is independently COORS, C(O)NR9R9, S(O)2R9;
• or S(O)2NR9R9;
• each R8 is independently aryl, heteroaryl, or heterocyclyl;
• and
• each R9 is independently H, C1-C10 alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, or heterocyclyl;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, prodrug, or optical isomer thereof;
• and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier;
• wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises nanoparticles or a nanoemulsion.