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Al Khoury C, Tokajian S, Nemer N, Nemer G, Rahy K, Thoumi S, Al Samra L, Sinno A. Computational Applications: Beauvericin from a Mycotoxin into a Humanized Drug. Metabolites 2024; 14:232. [PMID: 38668360 DOI: 10.3390/metabo14040232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug discovery was initially attributed to coincidence or experimental research. Historically, the traditional approaches were complex, lengthy, and expensive, entailing costly random screening of synthesized compounds or natural products coupled with in vivo validation largely depending on the availability of appropriate animal models. Currently, in silico modeling has become a vital tool for drug discovery and repurposing. Molecular docking and dynamic simulations are being used to find the best match between a ligand and a molecule, an approach that could help predict the biomolecular interactions between the drug and the target host. Beauvericin (BEA) is an emerging mycotoxin produced by the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, being originally studied for its potential use as a pesticide. BEA is now considered a molecule of interest for its possible use in diverse biotechnological applications in the pharmaceutical industry and medicine. In this manuscript, we provide an overview of the repurposing of BEA as a potential therapeutic agent for multiple diseases. Furthermore, considerable emphasis is given to the fundamental role of in silico techniques to (i) further investigate the activity spectrum of BEA, a secondary metabolite, and (ii) elucidate its mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charbel Al Khoury
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut Campus, P.O. Box 13-5053, Chouran, Beirut 1102 2801, Lebanon
| | - Sima Tokajian
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos Campus, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Nabil Nemer
- Department of Agriculture and Food Engineering, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh P.O. Box 446, Lebanon
| | - Georges Nemer
- Division of Genomics and Translational Biomedicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
| | - Kelven Rahy
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Sergio Thoumi
- Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, Lebanese American University, Beirut P.O. Box 13-5053, Lebanon
| | - Lynn Al Samra
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut Campus, P.O. Box 13-5053, Chouran, Beirut 1102 2801, Lebanon
| | - Aia Sinno
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut Campus, P.O. Box 13-5053, Chouran, Beirut 1102 2801, Lebanon
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Kim DN, McNaughton AD, Kumar N. Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Expedite Antibody Design and Enhance Antibody-Antigen Interactions. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:185. [PMID: 38391671 PMCID: PMC10886287 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11020185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
This perspective sheds light on the transformative impact of recent computational advancements in the field of protein therapeutics, with a particular focus on the design and development of antibodies. Cutting-edge computational methods have revolutionized our understanding of protein-protein interactions (PPIs), enhancing the efficacy of protein therapeutics in preclinical and clinical settings. Central to these advancements is the application of machine learning and deep learning, which offers unprecedented insights into the intricate mechanisms of PPIs and facilitates precise control over protein functions. Despite these advancements, the complex structural nuances of antibodies pose ongoing challenges in their design and optimization. Our review provides a comprehensive exploration of the latest deep learning approaches, including language models and diffusion techniques, and their role in surmounting these challenges. We also present a critical analysis of these methods, offering insights to drive further progress in this rapidly evolving field. The paper includes practical recommendations for the application of these computational techniques, supplemented with independent benchmark studies. These studies focus on key performance metrics such as accuracy and the ease of program execution, providing a valuable resource for researchers engaged in antibody design and development. Through this detailed perspective, we aim to contribute to the advancement of antibody design, equipping researchers with the tools and knowledge to navigate the complexities of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doo Nam Kim
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd., Richland, WA 99352, USA
| | - Andrew D McNaughton
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd., Richland, WA 99352, USA
| | - Neeraj Kumar
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd., Richland, WA 99352, USA
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Radaeva M, Morin H, Pandey M, Ban F, Guo M, LeBlanc E, Lallous N, Cherkasov A. Novel Inhibitors of androgen receptor's DNA binding domain identified using an ultra-large virtual screening. Mol Inform 2023; 42:e2300026. [PMID: 37193651 DOI: 10.1002/minf.202300026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) inhibition remains the primary strategy to combat the progression of prostate cancer (PC). However, all clinically used AR inhibitors target the ligand-binding domain (LBD), which is highly susceptible to truncations through splicing or mutations that confer drug resistance. Thus, there exists an urgent need for AR inhibitors with novel modes of action. We thus launched a virtual screening of an ultra-large chemical library to find novel inhibitors of the AR DNA-binding domain (DBD) at two sites: protein-DNA interface (P-box) and dimerization site (D-box). The compounds selected through vigorous computational filtering were then experimentally validated. We identified several novel chemotypes that effectively suppress transcriptional activity of AR and its splice variant V7. The identified compounds represent previously unexplored chemical scaffolds with a mechanism of action that evades the conventional drug resistance manifested through LBD mutations. Additionally, we describe the binding features required to inhibit AR DBD at both P-box and D-box target sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Radaeva
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 3Z6
| | - Helene Morin
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 3Z6
| | - Mohit Pandey
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 3Z6
| | - Fuqiang Ban
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 3Z6
| | - Maria Guo
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 3Z6
| | - Eric LeBlanc
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 3Z6
| | - Nada Lallous
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 3Z6
| | - Artem Cherkasov
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 3Z6
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Primavera E, Palazzotti D, Barreca ML, Astolfi A. Computer-Aided Identification of Kinase-Targeted Small Molecules for Cancer: A Review on AKT Protein. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:993. [PMID: 37513905 PMCID: PMC10384952 DOI: 10.3390/ph16070993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
AKT (also known as PKB) is a serine/threonine kinase that plays a pivotal regulatory role in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Dysregulation of AKT activity, especially its hyperactivation, is closely associated with the development of various human cancers and resistance to chemotherapy. Over the years, a wide array of AKT inhibitors has been discovered through experimental and computational approaches. In this regard, herein we present a comprehensive overview of AKT inhibitors identified using computer-assisted drug design methodologies (including docking-based and pharmacophore-based virtual screening, machine learning, and quantitative structure-activity relationships) and successfully validated small molecules endowed with anticancer activity. Thus, this review provides valuable insights to support scientists focused on AKT inhibition for cancer treatment and suggests untapped directions for future computer-aided drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Primavera
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, "Department of Excellence 2018-2022", University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Deborah Palazzotti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, "Department of Excellence 2018-2022", University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Barreca
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, "Department of Excellence 2018-2022", University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Astolfi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, "Department of Excellence 2018-2022", University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
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Rinotas V, Liepouri F, Ouzouni MD, Chalkidi N, Papaneophytou C, Lampropoulou M, Vidali VP, Kontopidis G, Couladouros E, Eliopoulos E, Papakyriakou A, Douni E. Structure-Based Discovery of Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-κB Ligand (RANKL)-Induced Osteoclastogenesis Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11290. [PMID: 37511048 PMCID: PMC10379842 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) has been actively pursued as a therapeutic target for osteoporosis, given that RANKL is the master mediator of bone resorption as it promotes osteoclast differentiation, activity and survival. We employed a structure-based virtual screening approach comprising two stages of experimental evaluation and identified 11 commercially available compounds that displayed dose-dependent inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. Their inhibitory effects were quantified through TRAP activity at the low micromolar range (IC50 < 5 μΜ), but more importantly, 3 compounds displayed very low toxicity (LC50 > 100 μΜ). We also assessed the potential of an N-(1-aryl-1H-indol-5-yl)aryl-sulfonamide scaffold that was based on the structure of a hit compound, through synthesis of 30 derivatives. Their evaluation revealed 4 additional hits that inhibited osteoclastogenesis at low micromolar concentrations; however, cellular toxicity concerns preclude their further development. Taken together with the structure-activity relationships provided by the hit compounds, our study revealed potent inhibitors of RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis of high therapeutic index, which bear diverse scaffolds that can be employed in hit-to-lead optimization for the development of therapeutics against osteolytic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vagelis Rinotas
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 34 Fleming Street, 16672 Vari, Greece
| | | | - Maria-Dimitra Ouzouni
- Laboratory of General Chemistry, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Niki Chalkidi
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 34 Fleming Street, 16672 Vari, Greece
| | - Christos Papaneophytou
- Department of Biochemistry, Veterinary School, University of Thessaly, 224 Trikalon, 43131 Karditsa, Greece
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 46 Makedonitissas Avenue, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Veroniki P Vidali
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Patr. Gregoriou E & 27 Neapoleos Str, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - George Kontopidis
- Department of Biochemistry, Veterinary School, University of Thessaly, 224 Trikalon, 43131 Karditsa, Greece
| | - Elias Couladouros
- proACTINA SA, 20 Delfon Street, 15125 Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of General Chemistry, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Elias Eliopoulos
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios Papakyriakou
- Institute of Biosciences and Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Patr. Gregoriou E & 27 Neapoleos Str, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Douni
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 34 Fleming Street, 16672 Vari, Greece
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
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Wadhwa K, Kaur H, Kapoor N, Brogi S. Identification of Sesamin from Sesamum indicum as a Potent Antifungal Agent Using an Integrated in Silico and Biological Screening Platform. Molecules 2023; 28:4658. [PMID: 37375219 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28124658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the limited availability of antifungal drugs, their relevant side effects and considering the insurgence of drug-resistant strains, novel antifungal agents are urgently needed. To identify such agents, we have developed an integrated computational and biological screening platform. We have considered a promising drug target in antifungal drug discovery (exo-1,3-β-glucanase) and a phytochemical library composed of bioactive natural products was used. These products were computationally screened against the selected target using molecular docking and molecular dynamics techniques along with the evaluation of drug-like profile. We selected sesamin as the most promising phytochemical endowed with a potential antifungal profile and satisfactory drug-like properties. Sesamin was submitted to a preliminary biological evaluation to test its capability to inhibit the growth of several Candida species by calculating the MIC/MFC and conducting synergistic experiments with the marketed drug fluconazole. Following the screening protocol, we identified sesamin as a potential exo-1,3-β-glucanase inhibitor, with relevant potency in inhibiting the growth of Candida species in a dose-dependent manner (MIC and MFC of 16 and 32 µg/mL, respectively). Furthermore, the combination of sesamin with fluconazole highlighted relevant synergistic effects. The described screening protocol revealed the natural product sesamin as a potential novel antifungal agent, showing an interesting predicted pharmacological profile, paving the way to the development of innovative therapeutics against fungal infections. Notably, our screening protocol can be helpful in antifungal drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khushbu Wadhwa
- Fungal Biology Laboratory, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Hardeep Kaur
- Fungal Biology Laboratory, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Neha Kapoor
- Department of Chemistry, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Simone Brogi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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Azad I, Khan T, Ahmad N, Khan AR, Akhter Y. Updates on drug designing approach through computational strategies: a review. Future Sci OA 2023; 9:FSO862. [PMID: 37180609 PMCID: PMC10167725 DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2022-0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The drug discovery and development (DDD) process in pursuit of novel drug candidates is a challenging procedure requiring lots of time and resources. Therefore, computer-aided drug design (CADD) methodologies are used extensively to promote proficiency in drug development in a systematic and time-effective manner. The point in reference is SARS-CoV-2 which has emerged as a global pandemic. In the absence of any confirmed drug moiety to treat the infection, the science fraternity adopted hit and trial methods to come up with a lead drug compound. This article is an overview of the virtual methodologies, which assist in finding novel hits and help in the progression of drug development in a short period with a specific medicinal solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iqbal Azad
- Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Dasauli, P.O. Bas-ha, Kursi Road, Lucknow, 226026, UP, India
| | - Tahmeena Khan
- Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Dasauli, P.O. Bas-ha, Kursi Road, Lucknow, 226026, UP, India
| | - Naseem Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Dasauli, P.O. Bas-ha, Kursi Road, Lucknow, 226026, UP, India
| | - Abdul Rahman Khan
- Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Dasauli, P.O. Bas-ha, Kursi Road, Lucknow, 226026, UP, India
| | - Yusuf Akhter
- Department of Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow, UP, 2260025, India
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Fereshteh S, Noori Goodarzi N, Kalhor H, Rahimi H, Barzi SM, Badmasti F. Identification of Putative Drug Targets in Highly Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria; and Drug Discovery Against Glycyl-tRNA Synthetase as a New Target. Bioinform Biol Insights 2023; 17:11779322231152980. [PMID: 36798081 PMCID: PMC9926382 DOI: 10.1177/11779322231152980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Gram-negative bacterial infections are on the rise due to the high prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, and efforts must be made to identify novel drug targets and then new antibiotics. Methods In the upstream part, we retrieved the genome sequences of 4 highly resistant Gram-negative bacteria (e.g., Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter cloacae). The core proteins were assessed to find common, cytoplasmic, and essential proteins with no similarity to the human proteome. Novel drug targets were identified using DrugBank, and their sequence conservancy was evaluated. Protein Data Bank files and STRING interaction networks were assessed. Finally, the aminoacylation cavity of glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyQ) was virtually screened to identify novel inhibitors using AutoDock Vina and the StreptomeDB library. Ligands with high binding affinity were clustered, and then the pharmacokinetics properties of therapeutic agents were investigated. Results A total of 6 common proteins (e.g., RP-L28, RP-L30, RP-S20, RP-S21, Rnt, and GlyQ) were selected as novel and widespread drug targets against highly resistant Gram-negative superbugs based on different criteria. In the downstream analysis, virtual screening revealed that Rimocidin, Flavofungin, Chaxamycin, 11,11'-O-dimethyl-14'-deethyl-14'-methylelaiophylin, and Platensimycin were promising hit compounds against GlyQ protein. Finally, 11,11'-O-dimethyl-14'-deethyl-14'-methylelaiophylin was identified as the best potential inhibitor of GlyQ protein. This compound showed high absorption capacity in the human intestine. Conclusion The results of this study provide 6 common putative new drug targets against 4 highly resistant and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, we presented 5 different hit compounds against GlyQ protein as a novel therapeutic target. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to explore the bactericidal effects of proposed hit compounds against these superbugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Narjes Noori Goodarzi
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hourieh Kalhor
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran
| | - Hamzeh Rahimi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | | | - Farzad Badmasti
- Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Farzad Badmasti, Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran Province, Tehran, 12 Farvardin St, Tehran 1316943551, Iran.
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Zięba A, Matosiuk D, Kaczor AA. The Role of Genetics in the Development and Pharmacotherapy of Depression and Its Impact on Drug Discovery. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24. [PMID: 36769269 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex disorders, such as depression, remain a mystery for scientists. Although genetic factors are considered important for the prediction of one's vulnerability, it is hard to estimate the exact risk for a patient to develop depression, based only on one category of vulnerability criteria. Genetic factors also regulate drug metabolism, and when they are identified in a specific combination, may result in increased drug resistance. A proper understanding of the genetic basis of depression assists in the development of novel promising medications and effective disorder management schemes. This review aims to analyze the recent literature focusing on the correlation between specific genes and the occurrence of depression. Moreover, certain aspects targeting a high drug resistance identified among patients suffering from major depressive disorder were highlighted in this manuscript. An expected direction of future drug discovery campaigns was also discussed.
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Alamri MA, Tariq MH, Tahir Ul Qamar M, Alabbas AB, Alqahtani SM, Ahmad S. Discovery of potential phytochemicals as inhibitors of TcdB, a major virulence factors of Clostridioides difficile. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:12768-12776. [PMID: 36644848 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2167120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is a gram-positive bacterium which is associated with different gastrointestinal related infections, and the numbers of cases related to it are continuously increasing in the past few years. Owing to high prevalence and development of resistance towards available antibiotics, it is required to develop new therapeutics to combat C. difficile infection. The current study was aimed to identify novel phytochemicals that could bind and inhibits the TcdB, an exotoxin which is required for the pathogenesis of bacteria, and hence can be considered as the future drug candidates against C. difficile. ∼2500 therapeutically important phyto-compounds were docked against the active sites of TcdB protein by using AutoDock-Vina software. The interactions between the ligands and the binding site of the top five docked complexes, based on the docking scores, were further elucidated by Molecular Dynamics Simulations of 500 ns, Molecular Mechanics Energies combined with the Poisson-Boltzmann and Surface Area (MMPBSA) or Generalized Born and Surface Area (MMGBSA), and WaterSwap Analysis. Findings of molecular docking suggested that natural compounds A183, A704, A1528, A2083, and A2129 with distinct chemical scaffolds are best docked in the binding site of TcdB and their bonding remained stable throughout the simulation studies of 500 ns. Compounds A2129 and A704 can be considered as prospective drug candidates against Clostridioides difficile, however, further wet lab experiments are needed to confirm our study.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubarak A Alamri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Muhammad Tahir Ul Qamar
- Integrative Omics and Molecular Modeling Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Alhumaidi B Alabbas
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Safar M Alqahtani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sajjad Ahmad
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar, Pakistan
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Popa SL, Pop C, Dita MO, Brata VD, Bolchis R, Czako Z, Saadani MM, Ismaiel A, Dumitrascu DI, Grad S, David L, Cismaru G, Padureanu AM. Deep Learning and Antibiotic Resistance. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:1674. [PMID: 36421316 PMCID: PMC9686762 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11111674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a naturally occurring phenomenon with the capacity to render useless all known antibiotics in the fight against bacterial infections. Although bacterial resistance appeared before any human life form, this process has accelerated in the past years. Important causes of AR in modern times could be the over-prescription of antibiotics, the presence of faulty infection-prevention strategies, pollution in overcrowded areas, or the use of antibiotics in agriculture and farming, together with a decreased interest from the pharmaceutical industry in researching and testing new antibiotics. The last cause is primarily due to the high costs of developing antibiotics. The aim of the present review is to highlight the techniques that are being developed for the identification of new antibiotics to assist this lengthy process, using artificial intelligence (AI). AI can shorten the preclinical phase by rapidly generating many substances based on algorithms created by machine learning (ML) through techniques such as neural networks (NN) or deep learning (DL). Recently, a text mining system that incorporates DL algorithms was used to help and speed up the data curation process. Moreover, new and old methods are being used to identify new antibiotics, such as the combination of quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) methods with ML or Raman spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF MS combined with NN, offering faster and easier interpretation of results. Thus, AI techniques are important additional tools for researchers and clinicians in the race for new methods of overcoming bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Lucian Popa
- 2nd Medical Department, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cristina Pop
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Pathophysiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Miruna Oana Dita
- Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Vlad Dumitru Brata
- Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Roxana Bolchis
- Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Zoltan Czako
- Department of Computer Science, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mohamed Mehdi Saadani
- Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Abdulrahman Ismaiel
- 2nd Medical Department, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dinu Iuliu Dumitrascu
- Department of Anatomy, “Iuliu Hatieganu“ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simona Grad
- 2nd Medical Department, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Liliana David
- 2nd Medical Department, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Gabriel Cismaru
- Fifth Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Astolfi A, Milano F, Palazzotti D, Brea J, Pismataro MC, Morlando M, Tabarrini O, Loza MI, Massari S, Martelli MP, Barreca ML. From Serendipity to Rational Identification of the 5,6,7,8-Tetrahydrobenzo[4,5]thieno[2,3- d]pyrimidin-4(3 H)-one Core as a New Chemotype of AKT1 Inhibitors for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:2295. [PMID: 36365115 PMCID: PMC9698716 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematopoietic malignancy whose prognosis is globally poor. In more than 60% of AML patients, the PI3K/AKTs/mTOR signaling pathway is aberrantly activated because of oncogenic driver alterations and further enhanced by chemotherapy as a mechanism of drug resistance. Against this backdrop, very recently we have started a multidisciplinary research project focused on AKT1 as a pharmacological target to identify novel anti-AML agents. Indeed, the serendipitous finding of the in-house compound T187 as an AKT1 inhibitor has paved the way to the rational identification of new active small molecules, among which T126 has emerged as the most interesting compound with IC50 = 1.99 ± 0.11 μM, ligand efficiency of 0.35, and a clear effect at low micromolar concentrations on growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in AML cells. The collected results together with preliminary SAR data strongly indicate that the 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo[4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one derivative T126 is worthy of future biological experiments and medicinal chemistry efforts aimed at developing a novel chemical class of AKT1 inhibitors as anti-AML agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Astolfi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Department of Excellence 2018–2022”, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesca Milano
- Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Deborah Palazzotti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Department of Excellence 2018–2022”, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Jose Brea
- CIMUS Research Center, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Maria Chiara Pismataro
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Department of Excellence 2018–2022”, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Mariangela Morlando
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Department of Excellence 2018–2022”, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Oriana Tabarrini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Department of Excellence 2018–2022”, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Isabel Loza
- CIMUS Research Center, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Serena Massari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Department of Excellence 2018–2022”, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Martelli
- Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Barreca
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Department of Excellence 2018–2022”, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
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Gan JH, Liu JX, Liu Y, Chen SW, Dai WT, Xiao ZX, Cao Y. DrugRep: an automatic virtual screening server for drug repurposing. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022. [PMID: 36216900 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-022-00996-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Computationally identifying new targets for existing drugs has drawn much attention in drug repurposing due to its advantages over de novo drugs, including low risk, low costs, and rapid pace. To facilitate the drug repurposing computation, we constructed an automated and parameter-free virtual screening server, namely DrugRep, which performed molecular 3D structure construction, binding pocket prediction, docking, similarity comparison and binding affinity screening in a fully automatic manner. DrugRep repurposed drugs not only by receptor-based screening but also by ligand-based screening. The former automatically detected possible binding pockets of the receptor with our cavity detection approach, and then performed batch docking over drugs with a widespread docking program, AutoDock Vina. The latter explored drugs using seven well-established similarity measuring tools, including our recently developed ligand-similarity-based methods LigMate and FitDock. DrugRep utilized easy-to-use graphic interfaces for the user operation, and offered interactive predictions with state-of-the-art accuracy. We expect that this freely available online drug repurposing tool could be beneficial to the drug discovery community. The web site is http://cao.labshare.cn/drugrep/.
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14
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Sahoo A, Swain SS, Panda SK, Hussain T, Panda M, Rodrigues CF. In Silico Identification of Potential Insect Peptides against Biofilm-Producing Staphylococcus aureus. Chem Biodivers 2022; 19:e202200494. [PMID: 36198620 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202200494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Biofilm-producing Staphylococcus aureus (SA) strains are frequently found in medical environments, from surgical/ wound sites, medical devices. These biofilms reduce the efficacy of applied antibiotics during the treatment of several infections, such as cystic fibrosis, endocarditis, or urinary tract infections. Thus, the development of potential therapeutic agents to destroy the extra protective biofilm layers or to inhibit the biofilm-producing enzymes is urgently needed. Advanced and cost-effective bioinformatics tools are advantageous in locating and speeding up the selection of antibiofilm candidates. Based on the potential drug characteristics, we have selected one-hundred thirty-three antibacterial peptides derived from insects to assess for their antibiofilm potency via molecular docking against five putative biofilm formation and regulated target enzymes: the staphylococcal accessory regulator A or SarA (PDB ID: 2FRH), 4,4'-diapophytoene synthase or CrtM (PDB ID: 2ZCQ), clumping factor A or ClfA (PDB ID: 1N67) and serine-aspartate repeat protein C or SdrC (PDB ID: 6LXH) and sortase A or SrtA (PDB ID: 1T2W) of SA bacterium. In this study, molecular docking was performed using HPEPDOCK and HDOCK servers, and molecular interactions were examined using BIOVIA Discovery Studio Visualizer-2019. The docking score (kcal/mol) range of five promising antibiofilm peptides against five targets was recorded as follows: diptericin A (-215.52 to -303.31), defensin (-201.11 to -301.92), imcroporin (-212.08 to -287.64), mucroporin (-228.72 to -286.76), apidaecin II (-203.90 to -280.20). Among these five, imcroporin and mucroporin were 13 % each, while defensin contained only 1 % of positive net charged residues (Arg+Lys) projected through ProtParam and NetWheels tools. Similarly, imcroporin, mucroporin and apidaecin II were 50 %, while defensin carried 21.05 % of hydrophobic residues predicted by the tool PEPTIDE. 2.0. Most of the peptides exhibited potential characteristics to inhibit S. aureus-biofilm formation via disrupting the cell membrane and cytoplasmic integrity. In summary, the proposed hypothesis can be considered a cost-effective platform for selecting the most promising bioactive drug candidates within a limited timeframe with a greater chance of success in experimental and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaka Sahoo
- Department of Skin & VD, Institute of Medical Sciences & SUM Hospital, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751023 1, India
| | - Shasank S Swain
- Division of Microbiology and NCDs, ICMR-, Regional Medical Research Center, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Sujogya K Panda
- Center of Environment Climate Change and Public Health, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar, 751004, Odisha, India
| | - Tahziba Hussain
- Division of Microbiology and NCDs, ICMR-, Regional Medical Research Center, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Maitreyee Panda
- Department of Skin & VD, Institute of Medical Sciences & SUM Hospital, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, 751023 1, India
| | - Célia F Rodrigues
- TOXRUN-Toxicology Research Unit, Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário - CESPU, 4585-116 Gandra PRD, Portugal.,LEPABE-Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal.,AliCE-Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
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15
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Rodrigues L, Bento Cunha R, Vassilevskaia T, Viveiros M, Cunha C. Drug Repurposing for COVID-19: A Review and a Novel Strategy to Identify New Targets and Potential Drug Candidates. Molecules 2022; 27. [PMID: 35566073 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27092723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
In December 2019, the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified in the province of Wuhan, China. Since then, there have been over 400 million confirmed cases and 5.8 million deaths by COVID-19 reported worldwide. The urgent need for therapies against SARS-CoV-2 led researchers to use drug repurposing approaches. This strategy allows the reduction in risks, time, and costs associated with drug development. In many cases, a repurposed drug can enter directly to preclinical testing and clinical trials, thus accelerating the whole drug discovery process. In this work, we will give a general overview of the main developments in COVID-19 treatment, focusing on the contribution of the drug repurposing paradigm to find effective drugs against this disease. Finally, we will present our findings using a new drug repurposing strategy that identified 11 compounds that may be potentially effective against COVID-19. To our knowledge, seven of these drugs have never been tested against SARS-CoV-2 and are potential candidates for in vitro and in vivo studies to evaluate their effectiveness in COVID-19 treatment.
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16
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Bosken YK, Ai R, Hilario E, Ghosh RK, Dunn MF, Kan S, Niks D, Zhou H, Ma W, Mueller LJ, Fan L, Chang CA. Discovery of antimicrobial agent targeting tryptophan synthase. Protein Sci 2022; 31:432-442. [PMID: 34767267 PMCID: PMC8820114 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a continually growing challenge in the treatment of various bacterial infections worldwide. New drugs and new drug targets are necessary to curb the threat of infectious diseases caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens. The tryptophan biosynthesis pathway is essential for bacterial growth but is absent in higher animals and humans. Drugs that can inhibit the bacterial biosynthesis of tryptophan offer a new class of antibiotics. In this work, we combined a structure-based strategy using in silico docking screening and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to identify compounds targeting the α subunit of tryptophan synthase with experimental methods involving the whole-cell minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test, solution state NMR, and crystallography to confirm the inhibition of L-tryptophan biosynthesis. Screening 1,800 compounds from the National Cancer Institute Diversity Set I against α subunit revealed 28 compounds for experimental validation; four of the 28 hit compounds showed promising activity in MIC testing. We performed solution state NMR experiments to demonstrate that a one successful inhibitor, 3-amino-3-imino-2-phenyldiazenylpropanamide (Compound 1) binds to the α subunit. We also report a crystal structure of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium tryptophan synthase in complex with Compound 1 which revealed a binding site at the αβ interface of the dimeric enzyme. MD simulations were carried out to examine two binding sites for the compound. Our results show that this small molecule inhibitor could be a promising lead for future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliana K. Bosken
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia
| | - Rizi Ai
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia
| | - Eduardo Hilario
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia
| | - Rittik K. Ghosh
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia
| | - Michael F. Dunn
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia
| | - Shih‐Hsin Kan
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia,Present address:
CHOC Research InstituteOrangeCalifornia
| | - Dimitri Niks
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia
| | - Huanbin Zhou
- Department of Microbiology and Plant PathologyUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia,Present address:
Institute of Plant ProtectionChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Wenbo Ma
- Department of Microbiology and Plant PathologyUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia,Present address:
The Sainsbury LaboratoryNorwich Research ParkNorwichUK
| | - Leonard J. Mueller
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia
| | - Li Fan
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia
| | - Chia‐En A. Chang
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCalifornia
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17
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Choi J, Lee J. V-Dock: Fast Generation of Novel Drug-like Molecules Using Machine-Learning-Based Docking Score and Molecular Optimization. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11635. [PMID: 34769065 PMCID: PMC8584000 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We propose a computational workflow to design novel drug-like molecules by combining the global optimization of molecular properties and protein-ligand docking with machine learning. However, most existing methods depend heavily on experimental data, and many targets do not have sufficient data to train reliable activity prediction models. To overcome this limitation, protein-ligand docking calculations must be performed using the limited data available. Such docking calculations during molecular generation require considerable computational time, preventing extensive exploration of the chemical space. To address this problem, we trained a machine-learning-based model that predicted the docking energy using SMILES to accelerate the molecular generation process. Docking scores could be accurately predicted using only a SMILES string. We combined this docking score prediction model with the global molecular property optimization approach, MolFinder, to find novel molecules exhibiting the desired properties with high values of predicted docking scores. We named this design approach V-dock. Using V-dock, we efficiently generated many novel molecules with high docking scores for a target protein, a similarity to the reference molecule, and desirable drug-like and bespoke properties, such as QED. The predicted docking scores of the generated molecules were verified by correlating them with the actual docking scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieun Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea;
| | - Juyong Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea;
- Arontier Co., Seoul 06735, Korea
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18
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Zaidman D, Gehrtz P, Filep M, Fearon D, Gabizon R, Douangamath A, Prilusky J, Duberstein S, Cohen G, Owen CD, Resnick E, Strain-Damerell C, Lukacik P, Barr H, Walsh MA, von Delft F, London N. An automatic pipeline for the design of irreversible derivatives identifies a potent SARS-CoV-2 M pro inhibitor. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 28:1795-1806.e5. [PMID: 34174194 PMCID: PMC8228784 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Designing covalent inhibitors is increasingly important, although it remains challenging. Here, we present covalentizer, a computational pipeline for identifying irreversible inhibitors based on structures of targets with non-covalent binders. Through covalent docking of tailored focused libraries, we identify candidates that can bind covalently to a nearby cysteine while preserving the interactions of the original molecule. We found ∼11,000 cysteines proximal to a ligand across 8,386 complexes in the PDB. Of these, the protocol identified 1,553 structures with covalent predictions. In a prospective evaluation, five out of nine predicted covalent kinase inhibitors showed half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values between 155 nM and 4.5 μM. Application against an existing SARS-CoV Mpro reversible inhibitor led to an acrylamide inhibitor series with low micromolar IC50 values against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. The docking was validated by 12 co-crystal structures. Together these examples hint at the vast number of covalent inhibitors accessible through our protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zaidman
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Paul Gehrtz
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mihajlo Filep
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Daren Fearon
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Ronen Gabizon
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alice Douangamath
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Jaime Prilusky
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shirly Duberstein
- Wohl Institute for Drug Discovery of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Galit Cohen
- Wohl Institute for Drug Discovery of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - C David Owen
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Efrat Resnick
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Claire Strain-Damerell
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Petra Lukacik
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | | | - Haim Barr
- Wohl Institute for Drug Discovery of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Martin A Walsh
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Frank von Delft
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK; Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Headington OX3 7DQ, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
| | - Nir London
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel.
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19
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Cho T, Han HS, Jeong J, Park EM, Shim KS. A Novel Computational Approach for the Discovery of Drug Delivery System Candidates for COVID-19. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2815. [PMID: 33802169 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to treat Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), we predicted and implemented a drug delivery system (DDS) that can provide stable drug delivery through a computational approach including a clustering algorithm and the Schrödinger software. Six carrier candidates were derived by the proposed method that could find molecules meeting the predefined conditions using the molecular structure and its functional group positional information. Then, just one compound named glycyrrhizin was selected as a candidate for drug delivery through the Schrödinger software. Using glycyrrhizin, nafamostat mesilate (NM), which is known for its efficacy, was converted into micelle nanoparticles (NPs) to improve drug stability and to effectively treat COVID-19. The spherical particle morphology was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the particle size and stability of 300-400 nm were evaluated by measuring DLSand the zeta potential. The loading of NM was confirmed to be more than 90% efficient using the UV spectrum.
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Radaeva M, Ban F, Zhang F, LeBlanc E, Lallous N, Rennie PS, Gleave ME, Cherkasov A. Development of Novel Inhibitors Targeting the D-Box of the DNA Binding Domain of Androgen Receptor. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2493. [PMID: 33801338 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The inhibition of the androgen receptor (AR) is an established strategy in prostate cancer (PCa) treatment until drug resistance develops either through mutations in the ligand-binding domain (LBD) portion of the receptor or its deletion. We previously identified a druggable pocket on the DNA binding domain (DBD) dimerization surface of the AR and reported several potent inhibitors that effectively disrupted DBD-DBD interactions and consequently demonstrated certain antineoplastic activity. Here we describe further development of small molecule inhibitors of AR DBD dimerization and provide their broad biological characterization. The developed compounds demonstrate improved activity in the mammalian two-hybrid assay, enhanced inhibition of AR-V7 transcriptional activity, and improved microsomal stability. These findings position us for the development of AR inhibitors with entirely novel mechanisms of action that would bypass most forms of PCa treatment resistance, including the truncation of the LBD of the AR.
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21
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Zhao L, Ciallella HL, Aleksunes LM, Zhu H. Advancing computer-aided drug discovery (CADD) by big data and data-driven machine learning modeling. Drug Discov Today 2020; 25:1624-1638. [PMID: 32663517 PMCID: PMC7572559 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Advancing a new drug to market requires substantial investments in time as well as financial resources. Crucial bioactivities for drug candidates, including their efficacy, pharmacokinetics (PK), and adverse effects, need to be investigated during drug development. With advancements in chemical synthesis and biological screening technologies over the past decade, a large amount of biological data points for millions of small molecules have been generated and are stored in various databases. These accumulated data, combined with new machine learning (ML) approaches, such as deep learning, have shown great potential to provide insights into relevant chemical structures to predict in vitro, in vivo, and clinical outcomes, thereby advancing drug discovery and development in the big data era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Zhao
- The Rutgers Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Heather L Ciallella
- The Rutgers Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Lauren M Aleksunes
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Hao Zhu
- The Rutgers Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Camden, NJ 08102, USA; Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08102, USA.
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22
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Na I, Choi S, Son SH, Uversky VN, Kim CG. Drug Discovery Targeting the Disorder-To-Order Transition Regions through the Conformational Diversity Mimicking and Statistical Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155248. [PMID: 32722024 PMCID: PMC7432763 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins exist as highly dynamic conformational ensembles of diverse forms. However, the majority of virtual screening only focuses on proteins with defined structures. This means that computer-aided drug discovery is restricted. As a breakthrough, understanding the structural characteristics of intrinsically disordered proteins and its application can open the gate for unrestricted drug discovery. First, we segmented the target disorder-to-order transition region into a series of overlapping 20-amino-acid-long peptides. Folding prediction generated diverse conformations of these peptides. Next, we applied molecular docking, new evaluation score function, and statistical analysis. This approach successfully distinguished known compounds and their corresponding binding regions. Especially, Myc proto-oncogene protein (MYC) inhibitor 10058F4 was well distinguished from others of the chemical compound library. We also studied differences between the two Methyl-CpG-binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) inhibitors (ABA (2-amino-N-[[(3S)-2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxin-3-yl]methyl]-acetamide) and APC ((R)-(3-(2-Amino-acetylamino)-pyrrolidine-1-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester))). Both compounds bind MBD2 through electrostatic interaction behind its p66α-binding site. ABA is also able to bind p66α through electrostatic interaction behind its MBD2-binding site while APC-p66α binding was nonspecific. Therefore, structural heterogeneity mimicking of the disorder-to-order transition region at the peptide level and utilization of the new docking score function represent a useful approach that can efficiently discriminate compounds for expanded virtual screening toward intrinsically disordered proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Insung Na
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea; (I.N.); (S.C.); (S.H.S.)
| | - Sungwoo Choi
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea; (I.N.); (S.C.); (S.H.S.)
| | - Seung Han Son
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea; (I.N.); (S.C.); (S.H.S.)
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Institute for Biological Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
- Correspondence: (V.N.U.); (C.G.K.)
| | - Chul Geun Kim
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea; (I.N.); (S.C.); (S.H.S.)
- CGK Biopharma Co. Ltd., 222 Wangshipri-ro, Sungdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Correspondence: (V.N.U.); (C.G.K.)
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Hannan MA, Dash R, Haque MN, Mohibbullah M, Sohag AAM, Rahman MA, Uddin MJ, Alam M, Moon IS. Neuroprotective Potentials of Marine Algae and Their Bioactive Metabolites: Pharmacological Insights and Therapeutic Advances. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:E347. [PMID: 32630301 PMCID: PMC7401253 DOI: 10.3390/md18070347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Beyond their significant contribution to the dietary and industrial supplies, marine algae are considered to be a potential source of some unique metabolites with diverse health benefits. The pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol homeostasis, protein clearance and anti-amyloidogenic potentials of algal metabolites endorse their protective efficacy against oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired proteostasis which are known to be implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders and the associated complications after cerebral ischemia and brain injuries. As was evident in various preclinical studies, algal compounds conferred neuroprotection against a wide range of neurotoxic stressors, such as oxygen/glucose deprivation, hydrogen peroxide, glutamate, amyloid β, or 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) and, therefore, hold therapeutic promise for brain disorders. While a significant number of algal compounds with promising neuroprotective capacity have been identified over the last decades, a few of them have had access to clinical trials. However, the recent approval of an algal oligosaccharide, sodium oligomannate, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease enlightened the future of marine algae-based drug discovery. In this review, we briefly outline the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases and brain injuries for identifying the targets of pharmacological intervention, and then review the literature on the neuroprotective potentials of algal compounds along with the underlying pharmacological mechanism, and present an appraisal on the recent therapeutic advances. We also propose a rational strategy to facilitate algal metabolites-based drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Abdul Hannan
- Department of Anatomy, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju 38066, Korea; (M.A.H.); (R.D.); (M.A.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh;
| | - Raju Dash
- Department of Anatomy, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju 38066, Korea; (M.A.H.); (R.D.); (M.A.)
| | - Md. Nazmul Haque
- Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Patuakhali 8602, Bangladesh;
| | - Md. Mohibbullah
- Department of Fishing and Post Harvest Technology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh;
| | - Abdullah Al Mamun Sohag
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh;
| | - Md. Ataur Rahman
- Center for Neuroscience, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea;
| | - Md Jamal Uddin
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea;
- ABEx Bio-Research Center, East Azampur, Dhaka 1230, Bangladesh
| | - Mahboob Alam
- Department of Anatomy, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju 38066, Korea; (M.A.H.); (R.D.); (M.A.)
- Division of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Gyeongju 780-714, Korea
| | - Il Soo Moon
- Department of Anatomy, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju 38066, Korea; (M.A.H.); (R.D.); (M.A.)
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Ain QU, Batool M, Choi S. TLR4-Targeting Therapeutics: Structural Basis and Computer-Aided Drug Discovery Approaches. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25030627. [PMID: 32023919 PMCID: PMC7037830 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25030627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The integration of computational techniques into drug development has led to a substantial increase in the knowledge of structural, chemical, and biological data. These techniques are useful for handling the big data generated by empirical and clinical studies. Over the last few years, computer-aided drug discovery methods such as virtual screening, pharmacophore modeling, quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis, and molecular docking have been employed by pharmaceutical companies and academic researchers for the development of pharmacologically active drugs. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a vital role in various inflammatory, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative disorders such as sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and systemic lupus erythematosus. TLRs, particularly TLR4, have been identified as potential drug targets for the treatment of these diseases, and several relevant compounds are under preclinical and clinical evaluation. This review covers the reported computational studies and techniques that have provided insights into TLR4-targeting therapeutics. Furthermore, this article provides an overview of the computational methods that can benefit a broad audience in this field and help with the development of novel drugs for TLR-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sangdun Choi
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-31-219-2600; Fax: +82-31-219-1615
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Liu Y, Grimm M, Dai WT, Hou MC, Xiao ZX, Cao Y. CB-Dock: a web server for cavity detection-guided protein-ligand blind docking. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2020; 41:138-144. [PMID: 31263275 PMCID: PMC7471403 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-019-0228-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 303] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As the number of elucidated protein structures is rapidly increasing, the growing data call for methods to efficiently exploit the structural information for biological and pharmaceutical purposes. Given the three-dimensional (3D) structure of a protein and a ligand, predicting their binding sites and affinity are a key task for computer-aided drug discovery. To address this task, a variety of docking tools have been developed. Most of them focus on docking in the preset binding sites given by users. To automatically predict binding modes without information about binding sites, we developed a user-friendly blind docking web server, named CB-Dock, which predicts binding sites of a given protein and calculates the centers and sizes with a novel curvature-based cavity detection approach, and performs docking with a popular docking program, Autodock Vina. This method was carefully optimized and achieved ~70% success rate for the top-ranking poses whose root mean square deviation (RMSD) were within 2 Å from the X-ray pose, which outperformed the state-of-the-art blind docking tools in our benchmark tests. CB-Dock offers an interactive 3D visualization of results, and is freely available at http://cao.labshare.cn/cb-dock/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Maximilian Grimm
- Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Wen-Tao Dai
- Shanghai Center for Bioinformation Technology & Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Pharmaceutical Translation, Shanghai Industrial Technology Institute, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Mu-Chun Hou
- Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Zhi-Xiong Xiao
- Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Yang Cao
- Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
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Floresta G, Gentile D, Perrini G, Patamia V, Rescifina A. Computational Tools in the Discovery of FABP4 Ligands: A Statistical and Molecular Modeling Approach. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:E624. [PMID: 31683588 DOI: 10.3390/md17110624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Small molecule inhibitors of adipocyte fatty-acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) have received interest following the recent publication of their pharmacologically beneficial effects. Recently, it was revealed that FABP4 is an attractive molecular target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, other metabolic diseases, and some type of cancers. In past years, hundreds of effective FABP4 inhibitors have been synthesized and discovered, but, unfortunately, none have reached the clinical research phase. The field of computer-aided drug design seems to be promising and useful for the identification of FABP4 inhibitors; hence, different structure- and ligand-based computational approaches have been used for their identification. In this paper, we searched for new potentially active FABP4 ligands in the Marine Natural Products (MNP) database. We retrieved 14,492 compounds from this database and filtered through them with a statistical and computational filter. Seven compounds were suggested by our methodology to possess a potential inhibitory activity upon FABP4 in the range of 97–331 nM. ADMET property prediction was performed to validate the hypothesis of the interaction with the intended target and to assess the drug-likeness of these derivatives. From these analyses, three molecules that are excellent candidates for becoming new drugs were found.
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Abstract
Due to the massive data sets available for drug candidates, modern drug discovery has advanced to the big data era. Central to this shift is the development of artificial intelligence approaches to implementing innovative modeling based on the dynamic, heterogeneous, and large nature of drug data sets. As a result, recently developed artificial intelligence approaches such as deep learning and relevant modeling studies provide new solutions to efficacy and safety evaluations of drug candidates based on big data modeling and analysis. The resulting models provided deep insights into the continuum from chemical structure to in vitro, in vivo, and clinical outcomes. The relevant novel data mining, curation, and management techniques provided critical support to recent modeling studies. In summary, the new advancement of artificial intelligence in the big data era has paved the road to future rational drug development and optimization, which will have a significant impact on drug discovery procedures and, eventually, public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhu
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, New Jersey 08102, USA;
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Bekono BD, Ntie-Kang F, Owono Owono LC, Megnassan E. Targeting Cysteine Proteases from Plasmodium falciparum: A General Overview, Rational Drug Design and Computational Approaches for Drug Discovery. Curr Drug Targets 2019; 19:501-526. [PMID: 28003005 DOI: 10.2174/1389450117666161221122432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Plasmodium falciparum cysteine proteases, also known as falcipains, are involved in different erythrocytic cycle processes of the malaria parasite, e.g. hydrolysis of host haemoglobin, erythrocyte invasion, and erythrocyte rupture. With the biochemical characterization of four falcipains so far, FP-2 (falcipain-2) and FP-3 (falcipain-3), members of the papain-like CAC1 family, are essential haemoglobinases. They could therefore be referred to as potential anti-malarial drug targets in the search for novel therapies, which could ease the burden caused by the increasing resistance to current antimalarial drugs. OBJECTIVES This review provides a summary of the most important results, highlighting the drug design approaches essential for the understanding of the mechanism of inhibition and discovery of inhibitors against cysteine proteases from P. falciparum. RESULTS Rational and computer-aided drug discovery approaches for the design of promising falcipain inhibitors are described herein, with a focus on a variety of structure-based and ligand-based modeling approaches. Moreover, the key features of ligand recognition against these targets are emphasized. CONCLUSION This review would be of interest to scientists engaged in the development of drug design strategies to target the cysteine proteases, FP-2 and FP-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris D Bekono
- University of Yaounde I, Advanced Teacher Training College, Laboratory for Simulation and Molecular Biophysics, P.O. Box 47 Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Fidele Ntie-Kang
- Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Institute for Pharmacy, Wolfgang- Langenbeck-Str. 4, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.,University of Buea, Department of Chemistry P.O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Luc C Owono Owono
- University of Yaounde I, Advanced Teacher Training College, Laboratory for Simulation and Molecular Biophysics, P.O. Box 47 Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Eugene Megnassan
- University of Abobo-Adjame, UFR SFA, Laboratoire de Physique Fondamentale et Appliquee 02 BP 801, Abidjan 02, Cote D'Ivoire
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Lee HS, Im W. Stalis: A Computational Method for Template-Based Ab Initio Ligand Design. J Comput Chem 2019; 40:1622-1632. [PMID: 30829435 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.25813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Proteins interact with small molecules through specific molecular recognition, which is central to essential biological functions in living systems. Therefore, understanding such interactions is crucial for basic sciences and drug discovery. Here, we present Structure template-based ab initio ligand design solution (Stalis), a knowledge-based approach that uses structure templates from the Protein Data Bank libraries of whole ligands and their fragments and generates a set of molecules (virtual ligands) whose structures represent the pocket shape and chemical features of a given target binding site. Our benchmark performance evaluation shows that ligand structure-based virtual screening using virtual ligands from Stalis outperforms a receptor structure-based virtual screening using AutoDock Vina, demonstrating reliable overall screening performance applicable to computational high-throughput screening. However, virtual ligands from Stalis are worse in recognizing active compounds at the small fraction of a rank-ordered list of screened library compounds than crystal ligands, due to the low resolution of the virtual ligand structures. In conclusion, Stalis can facilitate drug discovery research by designing virtual ligands that can be used for fast ligand structure-based virtual screening. Moreover, Stalis provides actual three-dimensional ligand structures that likely bind to a target protein, enabling to gain structural insight into potential ligands. Stalis can be an efficient computational platform for high-throughput ligand design for fundamental biological study and drug discovery research at the proteomic level. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Sun Lee
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015
| | - Wonpil Im
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015
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Carabet LA, Leblanc E, Lallous N, Morin H, Ghaidi F, Lee J, Rennie PS, Cherkasov A. Computer-Aided Discovery of Small Molecules Targeting the RNA Splicing Activity of hnRNP A1 in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Molecules 2019; 24:E763. [PMID: 30791548 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24040763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNP A1) is a versatile RNA-binding protein playing a critical role in alternative pre-mRNA splicing regulation in cancer. Emerging data have implicated hnRNP A1 as a central player in a splicing regulatory circuit involving its direct transcriptional control by c-Myc oncoprotein and the production of the constitutively active ligand-independent alternative splice variant of androgen receptor, AR-V7, which promotes castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). As there is an urgent need for effective CRPC drugs, targeting hnRNP A1 could, therefore, serve a dual purpose of preventing AR-V7 generation as well as reducing c-Myc transcriptional output. Herein, we report compound VPC-80051 as the first small molecule inhibitor of hnRNP A1 splicing activity discovered to date by using a computer-aided drug discovery approach. The inhibitor was developed to target the RNA-binding domain (RBD) of hnRNP A1. Further experimental evaluation demonstrated that VPC-80051 interacts directly with hnRNP A1 RBD and reduces AR-V7 messenger levels in 22Rv1 CRPC cell line. This study lays the groundwork for future structure-based development of more potent and selective small molecule inhibitors of hnRNP A1–RNA interactions aimed at altering the production of cancer-specific alternative splice isoforms.
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Carabet LA, Rennie PS, Cherkasov A. Therapeutic Inhibition of Myc in Cancer. Structural Bases and Computer-Aided Drug Discovery Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 20:E120. [PMID: 30597997 PMCID: PMC6337544 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Myc (avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog) represents one of the most sought after drug targets in cancer. Myc transcription factor is an essential regulator of cell growth, but in most cancers it is overexpressed and associated with treatment-resistance and lethal outcomes. Over 40 years of research and drug development efforts did not yield a clinically useful Myc inhibitor. Drugging the "undruggable" is problematic, as Myc inactivation may negatively impact its physiological functions. Moreover, Myc is a disordered protein that lacks effective binding pockets on its surface. It is well established that the Myc function is dependent on dimerization with its obligate partner, Max (Myc associated factor X), which together form a functional DNA-binding domain to activate genomic targets. Herein, we provide an overview of the knowledge accumulated to date on Myc regulation and function, its critical role in cancer, and summarize various strategies that are employed to tackle Myc-driven malignant transformation. We focus on important structure-function relationships of Myc with its interactome, elaborating structural determinants of Myc-Max dimer formation and DNA recognition exploited for therapeutic inhibition. Chronological development of small-molecule Myc-Max prototype inhibitors and corresponding binding sites are comprehensively reviewed and particular emphasis is placed on modern computational drug design methods. On the outlook, technological advancements may soon provide the so long-awaited Myc-Max clinical candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavinia A Carabet
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada.
| | - Paul S Rennie
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada.
| | - Artem Cherkasov
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, 2660 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada.
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Bartesaghi A, Aguerrebere C, Falconieri V, Banerjee S, Earl LA, Zhu X, Grigorieff N, Milne JLS, Sapiro G, Wu X, Subramaniam S. Atomic Resolution Cryo-EM Structure of β-Galactosidase. Structure 2018; 26:848-856.e3. [PMID: 29754826 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The advent of direct electron detectors has enabled the routine use of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (EM) approaches to determine structures of a variety of protein complexes at near-atomic resolution. Here, we report the development of methods to account for local variations in defocus and beam-induced drift, and the implementation of a data-driven dose compensation scheme that significantly improves the extraction of high-resolution information recorded during exposure of the specimen to the electron beam. These advances enable determination of a cryo-EM density map for β-galactosidase bound to the inhibitor phenylethyl β-D-thiogalactopyranoside where the ordered regions are resolved at a level of detail seen in X-ray maps at ∼ 1.5 Å resolution. Using this density map in conjunction with constrained molecular dynamics simulations provides a measure of the local flexibility of the non-covalently bound inhibitor and offers further opportunities for structure-guided inhibitor design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Bartesaghi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Cecilia Aguerrebere
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Veronica Falconieri
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Soojay Banerjee
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lesley A Earl
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Xing Zhu
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nikolaus Grigorieff
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Jacqueline L S Milne
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Guillermo Sapiro
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Xiongwu Wu
- Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sriram Subramaniam
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Shanmugam G, Jeon J. Computer-Aided Drug Discovery in Plant Pathology. Plant Pathol J 2017; 33:529-542. [PMID: 29238276 PMCID: PMC5720600 DOI: 10.5423/ppj.rw.04.2017.0084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Control of plant diseases is largely dependent on use of agrochemicals. However, there are widening gaps between our knowledge on plant diseases gained from genetic/mechanistic studies and rapid translation of the knowledge into target-oriented development of effective agrochemicals. Here we propose that the time is ripe for computer-aided drug discovery/design (CADD) in molecular plant pathology. CADD has played a pivotal role in development of medically important molecules over the last three decades. Now, explosive increase in information on genome sequences and three dimensional structures of biological molecules, in combination with advances in computational and informational technologies, opens up exciting possibilities for application of CADD in discovery and development of agrochemicals. In this review, we outline two categories of the drug discovery strategies: structure- and ligand-based CADD, and relevant computational approaches that are being employed in modern drug discovery. In order to help readers to dive into CADD, we explain concepts of homology modelling, molecular docking, virtual screening, and de novo ligand design in structure-based CADD, and pharmacophore modelling, ligand-based virtual screening, quantitative structure activity relationship modelling and de novo ligand design for ligand-based CADD. We also provide the important resources available to carry out CADD. Finally, we present a case study showing how CADD approach can be implemented in reality for identification of potent chemical compounds against the important plant pathogens, Pseudomonas syringae and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Junhyun Jeon
- Corresponding author. Phone) +82-53-810-3030, FAX) +82-53-810-4769, E-mail)
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION With the emergence of the 'big data' era, the biomedical research community has great interest in exploiting publicly available chemical information for drug discovery. PubChem is an example of public databases that provide a large amount of chemical information free of charge. AREAS COVERED This article provides an overview of how PubChem's data, tools, and services can be used for virtual screening and reviews recent publications that discuss important aspects of exploiting PubChem for drug discovery. EXPERT OPINION PubChem offers comprehensive chemical information useful for drug discovery. It also provides multiple programmatic access routes, which are essential to build automated virtual screening pipelines that exploit PubChem data. In addition, PubChemRDF allows users to download PubChem data and load them into a local computing facility, facilitating data integration between PubChem and other resources. PubChem resources have been used in many studies for developing bioactivity and toxicity prediction models, discovering polypharmacologic (multi-target) ligands, and identifying new macromolecule targets of compounds (for drug-repurposing or off-target side effect prediction). These studies demonstrate the usefulness of PubChem as a key resource for computer-aided drug discovery and related area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunghwan Kim
- a National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine , National Institutes of Health , Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda , MD , USA
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Njogu PM, Guantai EM, Pavadai E, Chibale K. Computer-Aided Drug Discovery Approaches against the Tropical Infectious Diseases Malaria, Tuberculosis, Trypanosomiasis, and Leishmaniasis. ACS Infect Dis 2016; 2:8-31. [PMID: 27622945 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.5b00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Despite the tremendous improvement in overall global health heralded by the adoption of the Millennium Declaration in the year 2000, tropical infections remain a major health problem in the developing world. Recent estimates indicate that the major tropical infectious diseases, namely, malaria, tuberculosis, trypanosomiasis, and leishmaniasis, account for more than 2.2 million deaths and a loss of approximately 85 million disability-adjusted life years annually. The crucial role of chemotherapy in curtailing the deleterious health and economic impacts of these infections has invigorated the search for new drugs against tropical infectious diseases. The research efforts have involved increased application of computational technologies in mainstream drug discovery programs at the hit identification, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization stages. This review highlights various computer-aided drug discovery approaches that have been utilized in efforts to identify novel antimalarial, antitubercular, antitrypanosomal, and antileishmanial agents. The focus is largely on developments over the past 5 years (2010-2014).
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M. Njogu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and ‡Division of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Chemistry, ⊗Institute of Infectious
Disease and Molecular Medicine, and ΘSouth African Medical Research Council Drug
Discovery and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Eric M. Guantai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and ‡Division of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Chemistry, ⊗Institute of Infectious
Disease and Molecular Medicine, and ΘSouth African Medical Research Council Drug
Discovery and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Elumalai Pavadai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and ‡Division of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Chemistry, ⊗Institute of Infectious
Disease and Molecular Medicine, and ΘSouth African Medical Research Council Drug
Discovery and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Kelly Chibale
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and ‡Division of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Chemistry, ⊗Institute of Infectious
Disease and Molecular Medicine, and ΘSouth African Medical Research Council Drug
Discovery and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
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Bajorath J. Pushing the boundaries of computational approaches: special focus issue on computational chemistry and computer-aided drug discovery. Future Med Chem 2015; 7:2415-7. [PMID: 26653118 DOI: 10.4155/fmc.15.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
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Durrant JD, Carlson KE, Martin TA, Offutt TL, Mayne CG, Katzenellenbogen JA, Amaro RE. Neural-Network Scoring Functions Identify Structurally Novel Estrogen-Receptor Ligands. J Chem Inf Model 2015; 55:1953-61. [PMID: 26286148 PMCID: PMC4780411 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.5b00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The magnitude of the investment required to bring a drug to the market hinders medical progress, requiring hundreds of millions of dollars and years of research and development. Any innovation that improves the efficiency of the drug-discovery process has the potential to accelerate the delivery of new treatments to countless patients in need. "Virtual screening," wherein molecules are first tested in silico in order to prioritize compounds for subsequent experimental testing, is one such innovation. Although the traditional scoring functions used in virtual screens have proven useful, improved accuracy requires novel approaches. In the current work, we use the estrogen receptor to demonstrate that neural networks are adept at identifying structurally novel small molecules that bind to a selected drug target, ultimately allowing experimentalists to test fewer compounds in the earliest stages of lead identification while obtaining higher hit rates. We describe 39 novel estrogen-receptor ligands identified in silico with experimentally determined Ki values ranging from 460 nM to 20 μM, presented here for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Durrant
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the National Biomedical Computation Resource, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
| | - Kathryn E. Carlson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61801
| | - Teresa A. Martin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61801
| | - Tavina L. Offutt
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the National Biomedical Computation Resource, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
| | - Christopher G. Mayne
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61801
| | | | - Rommie E. Amaro
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the National Biomedical Computation Resource, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
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