Bromo and methoxy ring-disubstituted ethyl phenylcyanoacrylate (PCA) was used in synthesis of thiazacridine derivatives as anticancer agents against breast and hematopoietic neoplastic cells ; in synthesis of a novel thiazolidinedione and evaluation of its modulatory effect on IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-17A, and IL-22 production in PBMCs from rheumatoid arthritis patients ; in synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity of new arylidene-thiazolidine-2,4-diones as PPARγ ligands ; in preparation of 2,4thiazolidinedione derivatives having hypoglycemic activity ; in synthesis and study of biological activity of novel acridinylidene and benzylidene thiazolidinediones ; in synthesis and study of anti-inflammatory activity of new thiazolidine-2,4-diones, 4thioxothiazolidinones, and 2-thioxoimidazolidinones ; in synthesis and studyschistosomicidal activity of new substituted thioxo-imidazolidine compounds ; in studies of behavior of Schistosoma Mansoni adult worms maintained in vitro towards imidazolidinone derivatives ; in synthesis of 1,3,5-trisubstituted-2thioxoimidazolidinones ; in studies of stereochemistry of arylidenecyanoacetic acids and arylarylideneacetonitriles . Bromo and methyl ring-disubstituted ethyl PCA were involved in preparation of 1-heteroaryl-2-phenylcyclopropanes used for allosteric modulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors . Chloro and methoxy ring-disubstituted ethyl PCA was involved in application of ethyl p-methoxy cinnamate and its derivatives in the maintenance of stem cell self-renewal and pluripotency , as well as in synthesis of 2-methoxy-5-chloro-, 3-chloro-4-methoxy-, and 3,4-dichlorophenylsuccinic acids .