[1][2] It acts as a selective, high-affinity, centrally active agonist of the TrkA, TrkB, and p75NTR, receptors for the neurotrophins nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as well as for DHEA and DHEA sulfate (DHEA-S).

[2] In 2011, the surprising discovery was made that DHEA, as well as DHEA-S, directly bind to and activate the TrkA and p75NTR with high affinity.

[3] These findings may explain the positive association between decreased circulating DHEA levels with age and age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

[2] Subsequently, a series of spiro derivatives of DHEA that had been synthesized and assessed in 2009 as potential neuroprotective agents was re-investigated.

[2] As such, BNN-20 was described as a BDNF mimetic and was proposed as a potential novel treatment for Parkinson's disease and other conditions, particularly of the neurodegenerative variety, like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.