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González JEH, Salas-Sarduy E, Alvarez LH, Valiente PA, Arni RK, Pascutti PG. Three Decades of Targeting Falcipains to Develop Antiplasmodial Agents: What have we Learned and What can be Done Next? Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:2234-2263. [PMID: 37711130 DOI: 10.2174/0929867331666230913165219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is a devastating infectious disease that affects large swathes of human populations across the planet's tropical regions. It is caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, with Plasmodium falciparum being responsible for the most lethal form of the disease. During the intraerythrocytic stage in the human hosts, malaria parasites multiply and degrade hemoglobin (Hb) using a battery of proteases, which include two cysteine proteases, falcipains 2 and 3 (FP-2 and FP-3). Due to their role as major hemoglobinases, FP-2 and FP-3 have been targeted in studies aiming to discover new antimalarials and numerous inhibitors with activity against these enzymes, and parasites in culture have been identified. Nonetheless, cross-inhibition of human cysteine cathepsins remains a serious hurdle to overcome for these compounds to be used clinically. In this article, we have reviewed key functional and structural properties of FP-2/3 and described different compound series reported as inhibitors of these proteases during decades of active research in the field. Special attention is also paid to the wide range of computer-aided drug design (CADD) techniques successfully applied to discover new active compounds. Finally, we provide guidelines that, in our understanding, will help advance the rational discovery of new FP-2/3 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Enrique Hernández González
- Multiuser Center for Biomolecular Innovation, IBILCE/UNESP, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UZA II, University of Vienna, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Emir Salas-Sarduy
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas Dr. Rodolfo Ugalde, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, CONICET, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnología (EByN), Universidad de San Martín (UNSAM), San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Pedro Alberto Valiente
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Pedro Geraldo Pascutti
- Laboratório de Modelagem e Dinâmica Molecular, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Abdul Rahman SM, Bhatti JS, Thareja S, Monga V. Current development of 1,2,3-triazole derived potential antimalarial scaffolds: Structure- activity relationship (SAR) and bioactive compounds. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 259:115699. [PMID: 37542987 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is among one of the most devastating and deadliest parasitic disease in the world claiming millions of lives every year around the globe. It is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by various species of the parasitic protozoan of the genus Plasmodium. The indiscriminate exploitation of the clinically used antimalarial drugs led to the development of various drug-resistant and multidrug-resistant strains of plasmodium which severely reduces the therapeutic effectiveness of most frontline medicines. Therefore, there is urgent need to develop novel structural classes of antimalarial agents acting with unique mechanism of action(s). In this context, design and development of hybrid molecules containing pharmacophoric features of different lead molecules in a single entity represents a unique strategy for the development of next-generation antimalarial drugs. Research efforts by the scientific community over the past few years has led to the identification and development of several heterocyclic small molecules as antimalarial agents with high potency, less toxicity and desired efficacy. Triazole derivatives have become indispensable units in the medicinal chemistry due to their diverse spectrum of biological profiles and many triazole based hybrids and conjugates have demonstrated potential in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activities. The manuscript compiled recent developments in the medicinal chemistry of triazole based small heterocyclic molecules as antimalarial agents and discusses various reported biologically active compounds to lay the groundwork for the rationale design and discovery of triazole based antimalarial compounds. The article emphasised on biological activities, structure activity relationships, and molecular docking studies of various triazole based hybrids with heterocycles such as quinoline, artemisinins, naphthyl, naphthoquinone, etc. as potential antimalarial agents which could act on the dual stage and multi stage of the parasitic life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Maheen Abdul Rahman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India
| | - Jasvinder Singh Bhatti
- Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India
| | - Suresh Thareja
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India
| | - Vikramdeep Monga
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India.
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Rosenthal PJ. Falcipain cysteine proteases of malaria parasites: An update. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2020; 1868:140362. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2020.140362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Kouman KC, Keita M, Kre N’Guessan R, Owono Owono LC, Megnassan E, Frecer V, Miertus S. Structure-Based Design and in Silico Screening of Virtual Combinatorial Library of Benzamides Inhibiting 2-trans Enoyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Reductase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with Favorable Predicted Pharmacokinetic Profiles. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20194730. [PMID: 31554227 PMCID: PMC6802012 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: During the previous decade a new class of benzamide-based inhibitors of 2-trans enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mt) with unusual binding mode have emerged. Here we report in silico design and evaluation of novel benzamide InhA-Mt inhibitors with favorable predicted pharmacokinetic profiles. Methods: By using in situ modifications of the crystal structure of N-benzyl-4-((heteroaryl)methyl) benzamide (BHMB)-InhA complex (PDB entry 4QXM), 3D models of InhA-BHMBx complexes were prepared for a training set of 19 BHMBs with experimentally determined inhibitory potencies (half-maximal inhibitory concentrations IC50exp). In the search for active conformation of the BHMB1-19, linear QSAR model was prepared, which correlated computed gas phase enthalpies of formation (∆∆HMM) of InhA-BHMBx complexes with the IC50exp. Further, taking into account the solvent effect and entropy changes upon ligand, binding resulted in a superior QSAR model correlating computed complexation Gibbs free energies (∆∆Gcom). The successive pharmacophore model (PH4) generated from the active conformations of BHMBs served as a virtual screening tool of novel analogs included in a virtual combinatorial library (VCL) of compounds containing benzamide scaffolds. The VCL filtered by Lipinski’s rule-of-five was screened by the PH4 model to identify new BHMB analogs. Results: Gas phase QSAR model: −log10(IC50exp) = pIC50exp = −0.2465 × ∆∆HMM + 7.95503, R2 = 0.94; superior aqueous phase QSAR model: pIC50exp = −0.2370 × ∆∆Gcom + 7.8783, R2 = 0.97 and PH4 pharmacophore model: pIC50exp = 1.0013 × pIC50exp − 0.0085, R2 = 0.95. The VCL of more than 114 thousand BHMBs was filtered down to 73,565 analogs Lipinski’s rule. The five-point PH4 screening retained 90 new and potent BHMBs with predicted inhibitory potencies IC50pre up to 65 times lower than that of BHMB1 (IC50exp = 20 nM). Predicted pharmacokinetic profile of the new analogs showed enhanced cell membrane permeability and high human oral absorption compared to current anti-tuberculotics. Conclusions: Combined use of QSAR models that considered binding of the BHMBs to InhA, pharmacophore model, and ADME properties helped to recognize bound active conformation of the benzamide inhibitors, permitted in silico screening of VCL of compounds sharing benzamide scaffold and identification of new analogs with predicted high inhibitory potencies and favorable pharmacokinetic profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koffi Charles Kouman
- Laboratoire de Physique Fondamentale et Appliquée (LPFA), University of Abobo Adjamé (now Nangui Abrogoua), Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire; (K.C.K.); (M.K.)
| | - Melalie Keita
- Laboratoire de Physique Fondamentale et Appliquée (LPFA), University of Abobo Adjamé (now Nangui Abrogoua), Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire; (K.C.K.); (M.K.)
| | - Raymond Kre N’Guessan
- Laboratoire de Physique Fondamentale et Appliquée (LPFA), University of Abobo Adjamé (now Nangui Abrogoua), Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire; (K.C.K.); (M.K.)
| | - Luc Calvin Owono Owono
- International Centre for Theoretical Physics, ICTP-UNESCO, Strada Costiera 11, I-34151 Trieste, Italy;
- Department of Physics, Ecole Normale Supérieure, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 47, Yaoundé 1, Cameroon
- International Centre for Applied Research and Sustainable Technology, SK-84104 Bratislava, Slovakia; (V.F.); (S.M.)
| | - Eugene Megnassan
- Laboratoire de Physique Fondamentale et Appliquée (LPFA), University of Abobo Adjamé (now Nangui Abrogoua), Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire; (K.C.K.); (M.K.)
- International Centre for Theoretical Physics, ICTP-UNESCO, Strada Costiera 11, I-34151 Trieste, Italy;
- International Centre for Applied Research and Sustainable Technology, SK-84104 Bratislava, Slovakia; (V.F.); (S.M.)
- Laboratoire de Cristallographie—Physique Moléculaire, University of Cocody (now Felix Houphouët-Boigny), Abidjan 22, Côte d’Ivoire
- Laboratoire de Chimie Organique Structurale et Théorique, University of Cocody (now Felix Houphouët-Boigny), Abidjan 22, Côte d’Ivoire
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +225-02-36-30-08
| | - Vladimir Frecer
- International Centre for Applied Research and Sustainable Technology, SK-84104 Bratislava, Slovakia; (V.F.); (S.M.)
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava, SK-83232 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Stanislav Miertus
- International Centre for Applied Research and Sustainable Technology, SK-84104 Bratislava, Slovakia; (V.F.); (S.M.)
- Department of Biotechnologies, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of SS. Cyril and Methodius, SK-91701 Trnava, Slovakia
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Alberca LN, Chuguransky SR, Álvarez CL, Talevi A, Salas-Sarduy E. In silico Guided Drug Repurposing: Discovery of New Competitive and Non-competitive Inhibitors of Falcipain-2. Front Chem 2019; 7:534. [PMID: 31448257 PMCID: PMC6691349 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is among the leading causes of death worldwide. The emergence of Plasmodium falciparum resistant strains with reduced sensitivity to the first line combination therapy and suboptimal responses to insecticides used for Anopheles vector management have led to renewed interest in novel therapeutic options. Here, we report the development and validation of an ensemble of ligand-based computational models capable of identifying falcipain-2 inhibitors, and their subsequent application in the virtual screening of DrugBank and Sweetlead libraries. Among four hits submitted to enzymatic assays, two (odanacatib, an abandoned investigational treatment for osteoporosis and bone metastasis, and the antibiotic methacycline) confirmed inhibitory effects on falcipain-2, with Ki of 98.2 nM and 84.4 μM. Interestingly, Methacycline proved to be a non-competitive inhibitor (α = 1.42) of falcipain-2. The effects of both hits on falcipain-2 hemoglobinase activity and on the development of P. falciparum were also studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas N Alberca
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compounds Research and Development (LIDeB), Department of Biological Sciences, Exact Sciences College, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Sara R Chuguransky
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compounds Research and Development (LIDeB), Department of Biological Sciences, Exact Sciences College, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Cora L Álvarez
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Química y Fisico-Química Biológicas (IQUIFIB) "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini", Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alan Talevi
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compounds Research and Development (LIDeB), Department of Biological Sciences, Exact Sciences College, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Emir Salas-Sarduy
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Rodolfo Ugalde", Universidad Nacional de San Martín, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Singh A, Kalamuddin M, Mohmmed A, Malhotra P, Hoda N. Quinoline-triazole hybrids inhibit falcipain-2 and arrest the development ofPlasmodium falciparumat the trophozoite stage. RSC Adv 2019; 9:39410-39421. [PMID: 35540629 PMCID: PMC9076119 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra06571g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study involves development of novel quinoline triazole-containing cysteine protease inhibitors which arrest the development ofP. falciparumat the trophozoite stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anju Singh
- Drug Design and Synthesis Lab
- Department of Chemistry
- Jamia Millia Islamia
- New Delhi-110025
- India
| | - Md Kalamuddin
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
- New Delhi-110067
- India
| | - Asif Mohmmed
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
- New Delhi-110067
- India
| | - Pawan Malhotra
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
- New Delhi-110067
- India
| | - Nasimul Hoda
- Drug Design and Synthesis Lab
- Department of Chemistry
- Jamia Millia Islamia
- New Delhi-110025
- India
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