1. A compound of formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester, amide, solvate or salt thereof: wherein Z is carbon or nitrogen; Y is carbon or nitrogen when one of Z and Y is nitrogen; R, R and R are independently selected from hydrogen and ( CC) alkyl; R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (CC) alkyl, (CC) alkyl-NH (CC) alkyl, (CC) alkyl-N [(CC) alkyl] and (CO) OH; R, R, R and R are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, amino, nitro, cyano, (CC) alkyl, (CC) alkyl-OH, (CC) alkyl-NH, (CC) alkyl-NH (CC) alkyl, (CC) alkyl-N [(CC) alkyl], (CC) alkyl-NH (CO) (CC) alkyl, (CO) OH, (CO) NH, (CO) NH (CC) alkyl, (CO) N [(CC) alkyl], O (CC) alkyl, O (CC) alkyl (CC) heterocyclyl, O (CC) alkyl (CC) heterocyclyl (CC) alkyl, O (CC) alkyl (CO) OH, O (CC) alkyl (CO) NH (CC) alkyl, O (CC) alkyl (CO) N [(CC) alkyl], OCF, NH (CC) alkyl, N [(CC) alkyl] , NH (CO) (CC) alkyl, NHSO (CC) alkyl, N [(CC) alkyl] SO (CC) alkyl, SH, S (CC) alkyl, SONH, SONH (CC) alkyl and SON [(CC) alkyl]; R is selected from hydrogen, amino and (CC) alkyl when Z or Y is carbon; R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, amino, (CC) alkyl, (CC) alkyl (CC) heterocyclyl, (CC) alkyl ( CC) heterocyclyl (CC) alkyl, (CO) OH, (CO) NH, (CO) NH (CC) alkyl, (CO) N [(CC) alkyl], (CO) (CC) alkyl, (CC) heterocyclyl , (CC) heterocytes kyl (CC) alkyl, NH (CC) alkyl, N [(CC) alkyl], NH (CO) (CC) alkyl, NHSO (CC) alkyl, N [(CC) alkyl] SO (CC) alkyl, SONH, SONH (CC) alkyl and SON [(CC) alkyl]; R is:; R, R and R are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, (CC) alkyl, O (CC) alkyl, NH (CC) alkyl and N [(CC) alkyl]; R is selected from hydrogen and (CC) alkyl; and R and R are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (CC) alkyl, (CC) alkyl (C — C) heterocyclyl, (CC) alkyl (CC) heterocyclyl (CC) alkyl, (CC) alkyl (CO) OH, (CC) alkyl (CO) NH, (CC) alkyl (CO) NH (C — C) alkyl, (CC) alkyl (CO) N [(CC)