An amalgamated molecular dynamic and Gaussian based 3D-QSAR study for the design of 2,4-thiazolidinediones as potential PTP1B inhibitors

Identification of novel DNA gyrase inhibitor by combined pharmacophore modeling, QSAR analysis, molecular docking, molecular dynamics, ADMET and DFT approaches

DNA gyrase, an ATP-dependent enzyme, plays a critical role in DNA replication, transcription, and recombination in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). While fluoroquinolones are effective antibacterial agents targeting DNA gyrase, their clinical use is often limited due to side effects and the emergence of bacterial resistance. In this study, we developed a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model to predict the anti-tubercular activity of Quinoline-Aminopiperidine derivatives targeting the DNA gyrase enzyme, using a dataset of 48 compounds obtained from the literature. The QSAR model was validated using both internal and external validation metrics. Model 4, the best predictive model, demonstrated a strong fit with an R² of 0.8393, an adjusted R² (R²adj) of 0.8010, and a lack of fit (LOF) parameter of 0.0626. The QSAR results revealed that DNA gyrase inhibition is significantly influenced by factors such as partition coefficient, molecular flexibility, hydrogen bonding potential, and the presence of fluorine atoms. Twelve quinoline-aminopiperidine derivatives were designed, and their anti-tubercular activity was predicted using QSAR model-4. These compounds were further assessed for pharmacokinetic properties, toxicity, and binding affinity to DNA gyrase. Pharmacophore modeling was also performed and validated using MOE software. The final pharmacophore model includes the features of two aromatic hydrophobic features, one hydrogen bond acceptor, and one hydrogen bond donor. The results indicated that designed compounds QA-3 and dataset compounds C-34 exhibit favorable drug-likeness properties. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the stable binding of compounds QA-3 and C-34 to the DNA gyrase protein, highlighting their potential as promising anti-tubercular agents. The developed QSAR Model-4 will facilitate the prediction of anti-tubercular activity in Quinoline-Aminopiperidine derivatives.

Identification of potential JNK3 inhibitors through virtual screening, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation as therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurological disorder and no effective drug is available for its treatment. Numerous pathological conditions are believed to be responsible for the initiation and development of AD including c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs). The JNKs are one of the enzymes from the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family that controls the phosphorylation of various transcription factors on serine and threonine residues, and hold significant responsibilities in tasks like gene expression, cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Since, JNK3 is primarily expressed in the brain hence its increased levels in the brain are associated with the AD pathology promoting neurofibrillary tangles, senile plaques, neuroinflammation, and nerve cell apoptosis. The current research work is focused on the development of novel JNK inhibitors as therapeutics for AD employing a structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) approach. The ZINC database (14634052 compounds) was investigated after employing pan assay interference (PAINs), drug-likeness, and diversity picking filter to distinguish molecules interacting with JNK3 by following three docking precision criteria: High Throughput Virtual Screening (HTVS), Standard Precision (SP), and Extra Precision (XP) & MMGBSA. Five lead molecules showed a better docking score in the range of -13.091 to -14.051 kcal/mol better than the reference compound (- 11.828 kcal/mol). The lead compounds displayed acceptable pharmacokinetic properties and were subjected to molecular dynamic simulations of 100 ns and binding free energy calculations. All the lead molecules showed stable RMSD and hydrogen bond interactions throughout the trajectory. The ∆GMM/PBSA_total score for the lead compounds ZINC220382956, ZINC147071339, ZINC207081127, ZINC205151456, ZINC1228819126, and CC-930 was calculated and found to be - 31.39, - 42.8, - 37.04, - 39.01, - 36.5, - 34.16 kcal/mol, respectively. Thus, it was concluded that the lead molecules identified in these studies have the potential to be explored as potent JNK3 inhibitors.

Medicinal Perspective of 2,4-Thiazolidinediones Derivatives: An Insight into Recent Advancements

2,4-Thiazolidinedione derivatives represent nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds utilized in type 2 diabetes mellitus management. Recent advances in medicinal chemistry have unveiled diverse therapeutic potentials and structural modifications of these derivatives. This review delves into novel TZD derivatives, encompassing their synthesis, structure-activity relationships, and pharmacokinetic profiles. Various therapeutic potentials of TZDs are explored, including anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, antihyperlipidemic, anticorrosive, and antitubercular activities. Additionally, it addresses mitigating side effects associated with marketed TZD derivatives such as weight gain, oedema, fractures, and congestive heart failure in type 2 diabetes mellitus management. The review elaborates on in vivo, in vitro, and ex vivo studies supporting different biological activities, alongside predicting ADME and drug-likeness properties of TZDs. Computational studies are also integrated to elucidate binding modes and affinities of novel TZD derivatives. Furthermore, a plethora of novel TZD derivatives with varied and enhanced therapeutic potentials are presented, warranting further evaluation of their biological activities.