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Amoroso N, Gambacorta N, Mastrolorito F, Togo MV, Trisciuzzi D, Monaco A, Pantaleo E, Altomare CD, Ciriaco F, Nicolotti O. Making sense of chemical space network shows signs of criticality. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21335. [PMID: 38049451 PMCID: PMC10696027 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48107-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical space modelling has great importance in unveiling and visualising latent information, which is critical in predictive toxicology related to drug discovery process. While the use of traditional molecular descriptors and fingerprints may suffer from the so-called curse of dimensionality, complex networks are devoid of the typical drawbacks of coordinate-based representations. Herein, we use chemical space networks (CSNs) to analyse the case of the developmental toxicity (Dev Tox), which remains a challenging endpoint for the difficulty of gathering enough reliable data despite very important for the protection of the maternal and child health. Our study proved that the Dev Tox CSN has a complex non-random organisation and can thus provide a wealth of meaningful information also for predictive purposes. At a phase transition, chemical similarities highlight well-established toxicophores, such as aryl derivatives, mostly neurotoxic hydantoins, barbiturates and amino alcohols, steroids, and volatile organic compounds ether-like chemicals, which are strongly suspected of the Dev Tox onset and can thus be employed as effective alerts for prioritising chemicals before testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Amoroso
- Dipartimento di Farmacia - Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy.
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy.
| | - Nicola Gambacorta
- Dipartimento di Farmacia - Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS-Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo (Foggia), Italy
| | - Fabrizio Mastrolorito
- Dipartimento di Farmacia - Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Togo
- Dipartimento di Farmacia - Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Daniela Trisciuzzi
- Dipartimento di Farmacia - Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Alfonso Monaco
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
- Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica "M. Merlin", Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Via Giovanni Amendola, 173, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Ester Pantaleo
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
- Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica "M. Merlin", Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Via Giovanni Amendola, 173, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Cosimo Damiano Altomare
- Dipartimento di Farmacia - Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Fulvio Ciriaco
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy.
| | - Orazio Nicolotti
- Dipartimento di Farmacia - Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
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Danieli A, Colombo E, Raitano G, Lombardo A, Roncaglioni A, Manganaro A, Sommovigo A, Carnesecchi E, Dorne JLCM, Benfenati E. The VEGA Tool to Check the Applicability Domain Gives Greater Confidence in the Prediction of In Silico Models. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9894. [PMID: 37373049 PMCID: PMC10298077 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24129894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A sound assessment of in silico models and their applicability domain can support the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) in chemical risk assessment and requires increasing the users' confidence in this approach. Several approaches have been proposed to evaluate the applicability domain of such models, but their prediction power still needs a thorough assessment. In this context, the VEGA tool capable of assessing the applicability domain of in silico models is examined for a range of toxicological endpoints. The VEGA tool evaluates chemical structures and other features related to the predicted endpoints and is efficient in measuring applicability domain, enabling the user to identify less accurate predictions. This is demonstrated with many models addressing different endpoints, towards toxicity of relevance to human health, ecotoxicological endpoints, environmental fate, physicochemical and toxicokinetic properties, for both regression models and classifiers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Danieli
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Via Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy;
| | - Erika Colombo
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCSS, 20156 Milano, Italy; (E.C.); (G.R.); (A.L.); (E.B.)
| | - Giuseppa Raitano
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCSS, 20156 Milano, Italy; (E.C.); (G.R.); (A.L.); (E.B.)
| | - Anna Lombardo
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCSS, 20156 Milano, Italy; (E.C.); (G.R.); (A.L.); (E.B.)
| | - Alessandra Roncaglioni
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCSS, 20156 Milano, Italy; (E.C.); (G.R.); (A.L.); (E.B.)
| | | | | | - Edoardo Carnesecchi
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Via Carlo Magno 1A, 43126 Parma, Italy; (E.C.); (J.-L.C.M.D.)
| | - Jean-Lou C. M. Dorne
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Via Carlo Magno 1A, 43126 Parma, Italy; (E.C.); (J.-L.C.M.D.)
| | - Emilio Benfenati
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCSS, 20156 Milano, Italy; (E.C.); (G.R.); (A.L.); (E.B.)
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