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AlJarf R, Rodrigues CHM, Myung Y, Pires DEV, Ascher DB. piscesCSM: prediction of anticancer synergistic drug combinations. J Cheminform 2024; 16:81. [PMID: 39030592 DOI: 10.1186/s13321-024-00859-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
While drug combination therapies are of great importance, particularly in cancer treatment, identifying novel synergistic drug combinations has been a challenging venture. Computational methods have emerged in this context as a promising tool for prioritizing drug combinations for further evaluation, though they have presented limited performance, utility, and interpretability. Here, we propose a novel predictive tool, piscesCSM, that leverages graph-based representations to model small molecule chemical structures to accurately predict drug combinations with favourable anticancer synergistic effects against one or multiple cancer cell lines. Leveraging these insights, we developed a general supervised machine learning model to guide the prediction of anticancer synergistic drug combinations in over 30 cell lines. It achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of up to 0.89 on independent non-redundant blind tests, outperforming state-of-the-art approaches on both large-scale oncology screening data and an independent test set generated by AstraZeneca (with more than a 16% improvement in predictive accuracy). Moreover, by exploring the interpretability of our approach, we found that simple physicochemical properties and graph-based signatures are predictive of chemotherapy synergism. To provide a simple and integrated platform to rapidly screen potential candidate pairs with favourable synergistic anticancer effects, we made piscesCSM freely available online at https://biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/piscescsm/ as a web server and API. We believe that our predictive tool will provide a valuable resource for optimizing and augmenting combinatorial screening libraries to identify effective and safe synergistic anticancer drug combinations. SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION: This work proposes piscesCSM, a machine-learning-based framework that relies on well-established graph-based representations of small molecules to identify and provide better predictive accuracy of syngenetic drug combinations. Our model, piscesCSM, shows that combining physiochemical properties with graph-based signatures can outperform current architectures on classification prediction tasks. Furthermore, implementing our tool as a web server offers a user-friendly platform for researchers to screen for potential synergistic drug combinations with favorable anticancer effects against one or multiple cancer cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghad AlJarf
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Carlos H M Rodrigues
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Yoochan Myung
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Douglas E V Pires
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - David B Ascher
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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Bharadwaj A, Kaur R, Gupta S. Emerging Treatment Approaches for COVID-19 Infection: A Critical Review. Curr Mol Med 2024; 24:435-448. [PMID: 37070448 DOI: 10.2174/1566524023666230417112543] [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: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
In the present scenario, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has imposed enormous damage on human survival and the global financial system. It has been estimated that around 111 million people all around the world have been infected, and about 2.47 million people died due to this pandemic. The major symptoms were sneezing, coughing, cold, difficulty breathing, pneumonia, and multi-organ failure associated 1with SARS-CoV-2. Currently, two key problems, namely insufficient attempts to develop drugs against SARSCoV-2 and the lack of any biological regulating process, are mostly responsible for the havoc caused by this virus. Henceforth, developing a few novel drugs is urgently required to cure this pandemic. It has been noticed that the pathogenesis of COVID-19 is caused by two main events: infection and immune deficiency, that occur during the pathological process. Antiviral medication can treat both the virus and the host cells. Therefore, in the present review, the major approaches for the treatment have been divided into "target virus" and "target host" groups. These two mechanisms primarily rely on drug repositioning, novel approaches, and possible targets. Initially, we discussed the traditional drugs per the physicians' recommendations. Moreover, such therapeutics have no potential to fight against COVID-19. After that, detailed investigation and analysis were conducted to find some novel vaccines and monoclonal antibodies and conduct a few clinical trials to check their effectiveness against SARSCoV- 2 and mutant strains. Additionally, this study presents the most successful methods for its treatment, including combinatorial therapy. Nanotechnology was studied to build efficient nanocarriers to overcome the traditional constraints of antiviral and biological therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok Bharadwaj
- Department of Biotechnology, GLA University, Mathura, 281406, UP, India
| | - Rasanpreet Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology, GLA University, Mathura, 281406, UP, India
| | - Saurabh Gupta
- Department of Biotechnology, GLA University, Mathura, 281406, UP, India
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Metallo-antiviral aspirants: Answer to the upcoming virusoutbreak. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY REPORTS 2023; 8:100104. [PMID: 37035854 PMCID: PMC10070197 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmcr.2023.100104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
In light of the current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, about one million research papers (articles, reviews, communications, etc.) were published in the last one and a half years. It was also noticed that in the past few years; infectious diseases, mainly those of viral origin, burdened the public health systems worldwide. The current wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has unmasked critical demand for compounds that can be swiftly mobilized for the treatment of re-emerging or emerging viral infections. With the potential chemical and structural characteristics of organic motifs, the coordination compounds might be a promising and flexible option for drug development. Their therapeutic consequence may be tuned by varying metal nature and its oxidation number, ligands characteristics, and stereochemistry of the species formed. The emerging successes of cisplatin in cancer chemotherapy inspire researchers to make new efforts for studying metallodrugs as antivirals. Metal-based compounds have immense therapeutic potential in terms of structural diversity and possible mechanisms of action; therefore, they might offer an excellent opportunity to achieve new antivirals. This review is an attempt to summarize the current status of antiviral therapies against SARS-CoV-2 from the available literature sources, discuss the specific challenges and solutions in the development of metal-based antivirals, and also talk about the possibility to accelerate discovery efforts in this direction.
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Vazquez-Rodriguez S, Ramírez-Contreras D, Noriega L, García-García A, Sánchez-Gaytán BL, Melendez FJ, Castro ME, de Azevedo WF, González-Vergara E. Interaction of copper potential metallodrugs with TMPRSS2: A comparative study of docking tools and its implications on COVID-19. Front Chem 2023; 11:1128859. [PMID: 36778030 PMCID: PMC9909424 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1128859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. For the virus to enter the host cell, its spike (S) protein binds to the ACE2 receptor, and the transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) cleaves the binding for the fusion. As part of the research on COVID-19 treatments, several Casiopeina-analogs presented here were looked at as TMPRSS2 inhibitors. Using the DFT and conceptual-DFT methods, it was found that the global reactivity indices of the optimized molecular structures of the inhibitors could be used to predict their pharmacological activity. In addition, molecular docking programs (AutoDock4, Molegro Virtual Docker, and GOLD) were used to find the best potential inhibitors by looking at how they interact with key amino acid residues (His296, Asp 345, and Ser441) in the catalytic triad. The results show that in many cases, at least one of the amino acids in the triad is involved in the interaction. In the best cases, Asp435 interacts with the terminal nitrogen atoms of the side chains in a similar way to inhibitors such as nafamostat, camostat, and gabexate. Since the copper compounds localize just above the catalytic triad, they could stop substrates from getting into it. The binding energies are in the range of other synthetic drugs already on the market. Because serine protease could be an excellent target to stop the virus from getting inside the cell, the analyzed complexes are an excellent place to start looking for new drugs to treat COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Vazquez-Rodriguez
- Centro de Química del Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Diego Ramírez-Contreras
- Centro de Química del Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Lisset Noriega
- Laboratorio de Química Teórica, Depto. de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico,Departamento de Física Aplicada, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Amalia García-García
- Centro de Química del Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico,Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Brenda L. Sánchez-Gaytán
- Centro de Química del Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Francisco J. Melendez
- Laboratorio de Química Teórica, Depto. de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - María Eugenia Castro
- Centro de Química del Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico,*Correspondence: María Eugenia Castro, ; Enrique González-Vergara,
| | - Walter Filgueira de Azevedo
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Enrique González-Vergara
- Centro de Química del Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico,*Correspondence: María Eugenia Castro, ; Enrique González-Vergara,
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Synthesis and characterization of violurate - based Mn(II) and Cu(II) complexes nano-crystallites as DNA-binders and therapeutics agents against SARS-CoV-2 virus. JOURNAL OF SAUDI CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2022. [PMCID: PMC9354444 DOI: 10.1016/j.jscs.2022.101528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Synthesis and structural characterization of nano crystallites of bis-violurate-based manganese(II) and copper(II) chelates is the subject of the present study. Analytical data and mass spectra as well as thermal analysis determined the molecular formulas of the present metal chelates. Spectroscopic and magnetic measurements assigned the structural formula of the present violurate metal complexes. The spectroscopic and magnetic investigations along with structural analysis results indicated the square planar geometry of both the Mn(II) and Cu(II) complexes. The structural analysis of the synthesized metal complexes was achieved by processing the PXRD data using specialized software Expo 2014. Spectrophotometeric and viscosity measurements showed that violuric acid and its Mn(II) and Cu(II) complexes successfully bind to DNA with intrinsic binding constants Kb from 38.2 × 105 to 26.4 × 106 M−1. The antiviral activity study displayed that the inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of SARS-CoV-2 by violuric acid and its Mn(II) and Cu(II) complexes are 84.01, 39.58 and 44.86 μM respectively. Molecular docking calculations were performed on the SARS-CoV-2 virus protein and the computed binding energy values are −0.8, −3.860 −5.187 and −4.790, kcal/mol for the native ligand, violuric acid and its Mn(II) and Cu(II) complexes respectively. Insights into the relationship between structures of the current compounds and their degree of reactivity are discussed.
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Celik I, Erol M, Duzgun Z. In silico evaluation of potential inhibitory activity of remdesivir, favipiravir, ribavirin and galidesivir active forms on SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase. Mol Divers 2022; 26:279-292. [PMID: 33765239 PMCID: PMC7992164 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-021-10215-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Since the outbreak emerged in November 2019, no effective drug has yet been found against SARS-CoV-2. Repositioning studies of existing drug molecules or candidates are gaining in overcoming COVID-19. Antiviral drugs such as remdesivir, favipiravir, ribavirin, and galidesivir act by inhibiting the vital RNA polymerase of SARS-CoV-2. The importance of in silico studies in repurposing drug research is gradually increasing during the COVID-19 process. The present study found that especially ribavirin triphosphate and galidesivir triphosphate active metabolites had a higher affinity for SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase than ATP by molecular docking. With the Molecular Dynamics simulation, we have observed that these compounds increase the complex's stability and validate the molecular docking results. We also explained that the interaction of RNA polymerase inhibitors with Mg++, which is in the structure of NSP12, is essential and necessary to interact with the RNA strand. In vitro and clinical studies on these two molecules need to be increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Celik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
| | - Meryem Erol
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Zekeriya Duzgun
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Giresun University, Giresun, 28100, Turkey
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Abubaker Bagabir S, Ibrahim NK, Abubaker Bagabir H, Hashem Ateeq R. Covid-19 and Artificial Intelligence: Genome sequencing, drug development and vaccine discovery. J Infect Public Health 2022; 15:289-296. [PMID: 35078755 PMCID: PMC8767913 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2022.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To clarify the work done by using AI for identifying the genomic sequences, development of drugs and vaccines for COVID-19 and to recognize the advantages and challenges of using such technology. METHODS A non-systematic review was done. All articles published on Pub-Med, Medline, Google, and Google Scholar on AI or digital health regarding genomic sequencing, drug development, and vaccines of COVID-19 were scrutinized and summarized. RESULTS The sequence of SARS- CoV-2 was identified with the help of AI. It can help also in the prompt identification of variants of concern (VOC) as delta strains and Omicron. Furthermore, there are many drugs applied with the help of AI. These drugs included Atazanavir, Remdesivir, Efavirenz, Ritonavir, and Dolutegravir, PARP1 inhibitors (Olaparib and CVL218 which is Mefuparib hydrochloride), Abacavir, Roflumilast, Almitrine, and Mesylate. Many vaccines were developed utilizing the new technology of bioinformatics, databases, immune-informatics, machine learning, and reverse vaccinology to the whole SARS-CoV-2 proteomes or the structural proteins. Examples of these vaccines are the messenger RNA and viral vector vaccines. AI provides cost-saving and agility. However, the challenges of its usage are the difficulty of collecting data, the internal and external validation, ethical consideration, therapeutic effect, and the time needed for clinical trials after drug approval. Moreover, there is a common problem in the deep learning (DL) model which is the shortage of interpretability. CONCLUSION The growth of AI techniques in health care opened a broad gate for discovering the genomic sequences of the COVID-19 virus and the VOC. AI helps also in the development of vaccines and drugs (including drug repurposing) to obtain potential preventive and therapeutic agents for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sali Abubaker Bagabir
- Medical Laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nahla Khamis Ibrahim
- Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Epidemiology Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - Hala Abubaker Bagabir
- Medical Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh, Saudi Arabia
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Omar AZ, Mosa TM, El-Sadany SK, Hamed EA, El-Atawy M. Novel piperazine based compounds as potential inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 Protease Enzyme: Synthesis and molecular docking study. J Mol Struct 2021; 1245:131020. [PMID: 34248201 DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.131020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Structurally diverse piperazine-based compounds hybrid with thiadiazole, isatin or with sulfur/nitrogen, functionalities were synthesized. The structures of the new compounds were established based on their spectral data and elemental analysis. The physicochemical, bioactivity scores and pharmacokinetic behavior of all the prepared ligands were evaluated using in silico computational tools. The new piperazine ligands have been screened for their inhibition activity against SARS-CoV-2 protease enzyme using molecular docking analysis. The docking studies showed that all the ligands have been docked with negative dock energy onto the target protease protein. Moreover, Molecular interaction studies revealed that SARS-CoV-2 protease enzyme had strong hydrogen bonding interactions with piperazine ligands. The present in silico study thus, provided some guidance to facilitate drug design targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Z Omar
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, P.O. 426 Ibrahemia, Alexandria 21321, Egypt
| | - Tawfik M Mosa
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, P.O. 426 Ibrahemia, Alexandria 21321, Egypt
| | - Samer K El-Sadany
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, P.O. 426 Ibrahemia, Alexandria 21321, Egypt
| | - Ezzat A Hamed
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, P.O. 426 Ibrahemia, Alexandria 21321, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El-Atawy
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, P.O. 426 Ibrahemia, Alexandria 21321, Egypt
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Yanbu 46423 Saudi Arabia
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Sharma S, Suvalka C, Bharti, Joshi M, Bahuguna A. Potential inhibitors and plant based technology: An alternative approach to treat corona virus. Bioorg Chem 2021; 117:105460. [PMID: 34763275 PMCID: PMC8559304 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The current pneumonia outbreak, which began in early December 2019 near Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, is caused by a novel corona virus (CoV) known as '2019-nCoV' or '2019 novel corona virus or COVID-19' by the World Health Organization (WHO). Vaccines are available to prevent corona virus contagious infection or to reduce the viral load in body but virus is continuously mutating itself to infect people at severity. In this critical scenario this review provide a compiled study for techniques and tools that can be used to treat corona virus infections and its variants by some modern techniques and natural products such as inhibitors, siRNA technique and plant based approaches. This review focuses on healthy treatment and strategies that can be used effectively to treat the disease globally by reducing the post COVID symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachin Sharma
- Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India,Corresponding author
| | - Chetana Suvalka
- Laboratory of Public Health Entomology, Department of Zoology, MLS University, Udaipur, India
| | - Bharti
- Department of Biotechnology, IIT Roorke, India
| | - Manoj Joshi
- Laboratory of Public Health Entomology, Department of Zoology, MLS University, Udaipur, India
| | - Ayush Bahuguna
- Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
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Roth S, Danielli A. Rapid and Sensitive Inhibitor Screening Using Magnetically Modulated Biosensors. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21144814. [PMID: 34300555 PMCID: PMC8309820 DOI: 10.3390/s21144814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitor screening is an important tool for drug development, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most used in vitro inhibitor screening tool is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). However, ELISA-based inhibitor screening is time consuming and has a limited dynamic range. Using fluorescently and magnetically modulated biosensors (MMB), we developed a rapid and sensitive inhibitor screening tool. This study demonstrates its performance by screening small molecules and neutralizing antibodies as potential inhibitors of the interaction between the spike protein 1 (S1) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. The MMB-based assay is highly sensitive, has minimal non-specific binding, and is much faster than the commonly used ELISA (2 h vs. 7–24 h). We anticipate that our method will lead to a remarkable advance in screening for new drug candidates.
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Raj K, Kaur K, Gupta GD, Singh S. Current understanding on molecular drug targets and emerging treatment strategy for novel coronavirus-19. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2021; 394:1383-1402. [PMID: 33961065 PMCID: PMC8102151 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-021-02091-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped positive-sense RNA virus, contain crown-like spikes on its surface, exceptional of large RNA genome, and a special replication machinery. Common symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 include cough, common cold, fever, sore throat, and a variety of severe acute respiratory disease (SARD) such as pneumonia. SARS-CoV-2 infects epithelial cells, T-cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells and also influences the production and implantation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Repurposing of various drugs during this emergency condition can reduce the rate of mortality as well as time and cost. Two druggable protein and enzyme targets have been selected in this review article due to their crucial role in the viral life cycle. The eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF4A), cyclophilin, nucleocapsid protein, spike protein, Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease (3CLpro), and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) play significant role in early and late phase of SARS-CoV-2 replication and translation. This review paper is based on the rationale of inhibiting of various SARS-CoV-2 proteins and enzymes as novel therapeutic approaches for the management and treatment of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also discussed the structural and functional relationship of different proteins and enzymes to develop therapeutic approaches for novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadga Raj
- Neuroscience Division, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, 142001, Punjab, India
| | - Karamjeet Kaur
- Neuroscience Division, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, 142001, Punjab, India
| | - G D Gupta
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, 142001, Punjab, India
| | - Shamsher Singh
- Neuroscience Division, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, 142001, Punjab, India.
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Anand U, Jakhmola S, Indari O, Jha HC, Chen ZS, Tripathi V, Pérez de la Lastra JM. Potential Therapeutic Targets and Vaccine Development for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Pandemic Management: A Review on the Recent Update. Front Immunol 2021; 12:658519. [PMID: 34276652 PMCID: PMC8278575 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.658519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly pathogenic novel virus that has caused a massive pandemic called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide. Wuhan, a city in China became the epicenter of the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019. The disease was declared a pandemic globally by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020. SARS-CoV-2 is a beta CoV of the Coronaviridae family which usually causes respiratory symptoms that resemble common cold. Multiple countries have experienced multiple waves of the disease and scientific experts are consistently working to find answers to several unresolved questions, with the aim to find the most suitable ways to contain the virus. Furthermore, potential therapeutic strategies and vaccine development for COVID-19 management are also considered. Currently, substantial efforts have been made to develop successful and safe treatments and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Some vaccines, such as inactivated vaccines, nucleic acid-based, and vector-based vaccines, have entered phase 3 clinical trials. Additionally, diverse small molecule drugs, peptides and antibodies are being developed to treat COVID-19. We present here an overview of the virus interaction with the host and environment and anti-CoV therapeutic strategies; including vaccines and other methodologies, designed for prophylaxis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection with the hope that this integrative analysis could help develop novel therapeutic approaches against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uttpal Anand
- Department of Life Sciences, National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Shweta Jakhmola
- Discipline of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
| | - Omkar Indari
- Discipline of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
| | - Hem Chandra Jha
- Discipline of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
| | - Zhe-Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John’s University, Queens, NY, United States
| | - Vijay Tripathi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Engineering, Jacob Institute of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, India
| | - José M. Pérez de la Lastra
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones científicas (CSIS), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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Karges J, Cohen SM. Metal Complexes as Antiviral Agents for SARS-CoV-2. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2600-2607. [PMID: 34002456 PMCID: PMC8239769 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome – coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the infectious agent responsible for COVID‐19 – has caused more than 2.5 million deaths worldwide and triggered a global pandemic. Even with successful vaccines being delivered, there is an urgent need for novel treatments to combat SARS‐CoV‐2, and other emerging viral diseases. While several organic small molecule drug candidates are in development, some effort has also been devoted towards the application of metal complexes as potential antiviral agents against SARS‐CoV‐2. Herein, the metal complexes that have been reported to show antiviral activity against SARS‐CoV‐2 or one of its target proteins are described and their proposed mechanisms of action are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Karges
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Seth M Cohen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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14
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Li J, Liu S, Shi J, Wang X, Xue Y, Zhu HJ. Tissue-Specific Proteomics Analysis of Anti-COVID-19 Nucleoside and Nucleotide Prodrug-Activating Enzymes Provides Insights into the Optimization of Prodrug Design and Pharmacotherapy Strategy. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:870-887. [PMID: 33855276 PMCID: PMC8033752 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Nucleoside and nucleotide analogs are an essential class of antivirals for COVID-19 treatment. Several nucleoside/nucleotide analogs have shown promising effects against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro; however, their in vivo efficacy is limited. Nucleoside/nucleotide analogs are often formed as ester prodrugs to improve pharmacokinetics (PK) performance. After entering cells, the prodrugs undergo several enzymatic metabolism steps to form the active metabolite triphosphate nucleoside (TP-Nuc); prodrug activation is therefore associated with the abundance and catalytic activity of the corresponding activating enzymes. Having the activation of nucleoside/nucleotide prodrugs occur at the target site of action, such as the lung, is critical for anti-SARS-CoV-2 efficacy. Herein, we conducted an absolute quantitative proteomics study to determine the expression of relevant activating enzymes in human organs related to the PK and antiviral efficacy of nucleoside/nucleotide prodrugs, including the lung, liver, intestine, and kidney. The protein levels of prodrug-activating enzymes differed significantly among the tissues. Using catalytic activity values reported previously for individual enzymes, we calculated prodrug activation profiles in these tissues. The prodrugs evaluated in this study include nine McGuigan phosphoramidate prodrugs, two cyclic monophosphate prodrugs, two l-valyl ester prodrugs, and one octanoate prodrug. Our analysis showed that most orally administered nucleoside/nucleotide prodrugs were primarily activated in the liver, suggesting that parenteral delivery routes such as inhalation and intravenous infusion could be better options when these antiviral prodrugs are used to treat COVID-19. The results also indicated that the l-valyl ester prodrug design can plausibly improve drug bioavailability and enhance effects against SARS-CoV-2 intestinal infections. This study further revealed that an octanoate prodrug could provide a long-acting antiviral effect targeting SARS-CoV-2 infections in the lung. Finally, our molecular docking analysis suggested several prodrug forms of favipiravir and GS-441524 that are likely to exhibit favorable PK features over existing prodrug forms. In sum, this study revealed the activation mechanisms of various nucleoside/nucleotide prodrugs relevant to COVID-19 treatment in different organs and shed light on the development of more effective anti-COVID-19 prodrugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiapeng Li
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan
College of Pharmacy, 428 Church Street, Room 4565 NUB, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Shuhan Liu
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan
College of Pharmacy, 428 Church Street, Room 4565 NUB, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Jian Shi
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan
College of Pharmacy, 428 Church Street, Room 4565 NUB, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Xinwen Wang
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeast Ohio
Medical University College of Pharmacy, Rootstown, Ohio 44272, United States
| | - Yanling Xue
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan
College of Pharmacy, 428 Church Street, Room 4565 NUB, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Hao-Jie Zhu
- Department
of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan
College of Pharmacy, 428 Church Street, Room 4565 NUB, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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15
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Choi HM, Moon SY, Yang HI, Kim KS. Understanding Viral Infection Mechanisms and Patient Symptoms for the Development of COVID-19 Therapeutics. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1737. [PMID: 33572274 PMCID: PMC7915126 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has become a worldwide pandemic. Symptoms range from mild fever to cough, fatigue, severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and organ failure, with a mortality rate of 2.2%. However, there are no licensed drugs or definitive treatment strategies for patients with severe COVID-19. Only antiviral or anti-inflammatory drugs are used as symptomatic treatments based on clinician experience. Basic medical researchers are also trying to develop COVID-19 therapeutics. However, there is limited systematic information about the pathogenesis of COVID-19 symptoms that cause tissue damage or death and the mechanisms by which the virus infects and replicates in cells. Here, we introduce recent knowledge of time course changes in viral titers, delayed virus clearance, and persistent systemic inflammation in patients with severe COVID-19. Based on the concept of drug reposition, we review which antiviral or anti-inflammatory drugs can effectively treat COVID-19 patients based on progressive symptoms and the mechanisms inhibiting virus infection and replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung Muk Choi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul 02447, Korea;
| | - Soo Youn Moon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Gandong-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea;
| | - Hyung In Yang
- East-West Bone & Joint Disease Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Gandong-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea;
| | - Kyoung Soo Kim
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul 02447, Korea;
- East-West Bone & Joint Disease Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Gandong-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea;
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16
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Shagufta, Ahmad I. The race to treat COVID-19: Potential therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 213:113157. [PMID: 33486200 PMCID: PMC7802596 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The unforeseen emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at the Wuhan province of China in December 2019, subsequently its abrupt spread across the world has severely affected human life. In a short span of time, COVID-19 has sacked more than one million human lives and marked as a severe global pandemic, which is drastically accountable for the adverse effect directly to the human society, particularly the health care system and the economy. The unavailability of approved and effective drugs or vaccines against COVID-19 further created conditions more adverse and terrifying. To win the war against this pandemic within time there is a desperate need for the most adequate therapeutic treatment, which can be achieved by the collaborative research work among scientists worldwide. In continuation of our efforts to support the scientific community, a review has been presented which discusses the structure and the activity of numerous molecules exhibiting promising SARS-CoV-2 and other CoVs inhibition activities. Furthermore, this review offers an overview of the structure, a plausible mechanism of action of SARS-CoV-2, and crucial structural features substantial to inhibit the primary virus-based and host-based targets involved in SARS-CoV-2 treatment. We anticipate optimistically that this perspective will provide the reader and researcher’s better understanding regarding COVID-19 and pave the path in the direction of COVID-19 drug discovery and development paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shagufta
- Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, American University of Ras Al Khaimah, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Irshad Ahmad
- Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, American University of Ras Al Khaimah, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
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17
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Tatar G, Ozyurt E, Turhan K. Computational drug repurposing study of the RNA binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein with antiviral agents. Biotechnol Prog 2020; 37:e3110. [PMID: 33314794 PMCID: PMC7883068 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) in China caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has led to worldwide human infections and deaths. The nucleocapsid (N) protein of coronaviruses (CoVs) is a multifunctional RNA binding protein necessary for viral RNA replication and transcription. Therefore, it is a potential antiviral drug target, serving multiple critical functions during the viral life cycle. This study addresses the potential to repurpose antiviral compounds approved or in development for treating human CoV induced infections against SARS‐CoV‐2 N. For this purpose, we used the docking methodology to better understand the inhibitory mechanism of this protein with the existing 34 antiviral compounds. The results of this analysis indicate that rapamycin, saracatinib, camostat, trametinib, and nafamostat were the top hit compounds with binding energy (−11.87, −10.40, −9.85, −9.45, −9.35 kcal/mol, respectively). This analysis also showed that the most common residues that interact with the compounds are Phe66, Arg68, Gly69, Tyr123, Ile131, Trp132, Val133, and Ala134. Subsequently, protein‐ligand complex stability was examined with molecular dynamics simulations for these five compounds, which showed the best binding affinity. According to the results of this study, the interaction between these compounds and crucial residues of the target protein were maintained. These results suggest that these residues are potential drug targeting sites for the SARS‐CoV‐2 N protein. This study information will contribute to the development of novel compounds for further in vitro and in vivo studies of SARS‐CoV‐2, as well as possible new drug repurposing strategies to treat COVID‐19 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gizem Tatar
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Ezgi Ozyurt
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Kemal Turhan
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
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18
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Dutta A, Roy A, Roy L, Chattopadhyay S, Chatterjee S. Immune response and possible therapeutics in COVID-19. RSC Adv 2020; 11:960-977. [PMID: 35423713 PMCID: PMC8693424 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra08901j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 has emerged as a pandemic affecting about 213 countries in all the continents of the globe, resulting in more than 37.8 million individuals getting infected and over 1.08 million deaths worldwide, jeopardizing global human health and the economy. This presents an urgent need to develop therapies that target the SARS-CoV2 virus specifically. This review aims at presenting the available information on the coronavirus disease 2019 along with various drugs that are having widespread use until a vaccine candidate is available to aid in the development of therapeutic strategies against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anindya Dutta
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute Centenary Campus, P-1/12 C.I.T. Scheme VIIM Kolkata-700054 India +91-033-25693340
| | - Ananya Roy
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute Centenary Campus, P-1/12 C.I.T. Scheme VIIM Kolkata-700054 India +91-033-25693340
| | - Laboni Roy
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute Centenary Campus, P-1/12 C.I.T. Scheme VIIM Kolkata-700054 India +91-033-25693340
| | | | - Subhrangsu Chatterjee
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute Centenary Campus, P-1/12 C.I.T. Scheme VIIM Kolkata-700054 India +91-033-25693340
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19
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Pawełczyk A, Zaprutko L. Anti-COVID drugs: repurposing existing drugs or search for new complex entities, strategies and perspectives. Future Med Chem 2020; 12:1743-1757. [PMID: 32698626 PMCID: PMC7377048 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2020-0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
At the end of 2019, a novel virus causing severe acute respiratory syndrome to spread globally. There are currently no effective drugs targeting SARS-CoV-2. In this study, based on the analysis of numerous references and selected methods of computational chemistry, the strategy of integrative structural modification of small molecules with antiviral activity into potential active complex molecules has been presented. Proposed molecules have been designed based on the structure of triterpene oleanolic acid and complemented by structures characteristic of selected anti-COVID therapy assisted drugs. Their pharmaceutical molecular parameters and the preliminary bioactivity were calculated and predicted. The results of the above analyses show that among the designed complex substances there are potential antiviral agents directed mainly on SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pawełczyk
- Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Organic Chemistry, Grunwaldzka 6, Poznań 60-780, Poland
| | - Lucjusz Zaprutko
- Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Organic Chemistry, Grunwaldzka 6, Poznań 60-780, Poland
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