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Aslan A, Ari Yuka S. Therapeutic peptides for coronary artery diseases: in silico methods and current perspectives. Amino Acids 2024; 56:37. [PMID: 38822212 PMCID: PMC11143054 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-024-03397-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Many drug formulations containing small active molecules are used for the treatment of coronary artery disease, which affects a significant part of the world's population. However, the inadequate profile of these molecules in terms of therapeutic efficacy has led to the therapeutic use of protein and peptide-based biomolecules with superior properties, such as target-specific affinity and low immunogenicity, in critical diseases. Protein‒protein interactions, as a consequence of advances in molecular techniques with strategies involving the combined use of in silico methods, have enabled the design of therapeutic peptides to reach an advanced dimension. In particular, with the advantages provided by protein/peptide structural modeling, molecular docking for the study of their interactions, molecular dynamics simulations for their interactions under physiological conditions and machine learning techniques that can work in combination with all these, significant progress has been made in approaches to developing therapeutic peptides that can modulate the development and progression of coronary artery diseases. In this scope, this review discusses in silico methods for the development of peptide therapeutics for the treatment of coronary artery disease and strategies for identifying the molecular mechanisms that can be modulated by these designs and provides a comprehensive perspective for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayca Aslan
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Yildiz Technical University, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey
- Health Biotechnology Joint Research and Application Center of Excellence, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Selcen Ari Yuka
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Yildiz Technical University, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Health Biotechnology Joint Research and Application Center of Excellence, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Hantz ER, Tikunova SB, Belevych N, Davis JP, Reiser PJ, Lindert S. Targeting Troponin C with Small Molecules Containing Diphenyl Moieties: Calcium Sensitivity Effects on Striated Muscles and Structure-Activity Relationship. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:3462-3473. [PMID: 37204863 PMCID: PMC10496875 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Despite large investments from academia and industry, heart failure, which results from a disruption of the contractile apparatus, remains a leading cause of death. Cardiac muscle contraction is a calcium-dependent mechanism, which is regulated by the troponin protein complex (cTn) and specifically by the N-terminal domain of its calcium-binding subunit (cNTnC). There is an increasing need for the development of small molecules that increase calcium sensitivity without altering the systolic calcium concentration, thereby strengthening the cardiac function. Here, we examined the effect of our previously identified calcium-sensitizing small molecule, ChemBridge compound 7930079, in the context of several homologous muscle systems. The effect of this molecule on force generation in isolated cardiac trabeculae and slow skeletal muscle fibers was measured. Furthermore, we explored the use of Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics in sampling highly predictive receptor conformations based on NMR-derived starting structures. Additionally, we took a rational computational approach for lead optimization based on lipophilic diphenyl moieties. This integrated structural-biochemical-physiological approach led to the identification of three novel low-affinity binders, which had similar binding affinities to the known positive inotrope trifluoperazine. The most potent identified calcium sensitizer was compound 16 with an apparent affinity of 117 ± 17 μM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R. Hantz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210
| | - Svetlana B. Tikunova
- Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210
| | - Natalya Belevych
- Division of Biosciences, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Jonathan P. Davis
- Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210
| | - Peter J. Reiser
- Division of Biosciences, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Steffen Lindert
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210
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Hantz ER, Tikunova SB, Belevych N, Davis JP, Reiser PJ, Lindert S. Targeting Troponin C with Small Molecules Containing Diphenyl Moieties: Calcium Sensitivity Effects on Striated Muscle and Structure Activity Relationship. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.06.527323. [PMID: 36798160 PMCID: PMC9934531 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.06.527323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Despite large investments from academia and industry, heart failure, which results from a disruption of the contractile apparatus, remains a leading cause of death. Cardiac muscle contraction is a calcium-dependent mechanism, which is regulated by the troponin protein complex (cTn) and specifically by the N-terminal domain of its calcium binding subunit (cNTnC). There is an increasing need for the development of small molecules that increase calcium sensitivity without altering systolic calcium concentration, thereby strengthening cardiac function. Here, we examined the effect of our previously identified calcium sensitizing small molecule, ChemBridge compound 7930079, in the context of several homologous muscle systems. The effect of this molecule on force generation in isolated cardiac trabeculae and slow skeletal muscle fibers was measured. Furthermore, we explored the use of Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics in sampling highly predictive receptor conformations based on NMR derived starting structures. Additionally, we took a rational computational approach for lead optimization based on lipophilic diphenyl moieties. This led to the identification of three novel low affinity binders, which had similar binding affinities to known positive inotrope trifluoperazine. The most potent identified calcium sensitizer was compound 16 with an apparent affinity of 117 ± 17 μM .
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R. Hantz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210
| | - Svetlana B. Tikunova
- Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210
| | - Natalya Belevych
- Division of Biosciences, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Jonathan P. Davis
- Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210
| | - Peter J. Reiser
- Division of Biosciences, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Steffen Lindert
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210,Correspondence to: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio State University, 2114 Newman & Wolfrom Laboratory, 100 W. 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, 614-292-8284 (office), 614-292-1685 (fax),
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