In silico scaffold evaluation and solid phase approach to identify new gelatinase inhibitors

Novel Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) Inhibitors in Cancer Treatment

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) belong to a family of zinc-dependent proteolytic metalloenzymes. MMP-9, a member of the gelatinase B family, is characterized as one of the most intricate MMPs. The crucial involvement of MMP-9 in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling underscores its significant correlation with each stage of cancer pathogenesis and progression. The design and synthesis of MMP-9 inhibitors is a potentially attractive research area. Unfortunately, to date, there is no effective MMP-9 inhibitor that passes the clinical trials and is approved by the FDA. This review primarily focuses on exploring the diverse strategies employed in the design and advancement of MMP-9 inhibitors, along with their anticancer effects and selectivity. To illuminate the essential structural characteristics necessary for the future design of novel MMP-9 inhibitors, the current narrative review highlights several recently discovered MMP-9 inhibitors exhibiting notable selectivity and potency.

Selective Inhibitors of Medium-Size S1' Pocket Matrix Metalloproteinases: A Stepping Stone of Future Drug Discovery

Among various matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMPs having medium-size S1' pockets are established as promising biomolecular targets for executing crucial roles in cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. However, no such MMP inhibitors (MMPIs) are available to date as drug candidates despite a lot of continuous research work for more than three decades. Due to a high degree of structural resemblance among these MMPs, designing selective MMPIs is quite challenging. However, the variability and uniqueness of the S1' pockets of these MMPs make them promising targets for designing selective MMPIs. In this perspective, the overall structural aspects of medium-size S1' pocket MMPs including the unique binding patterns of enzyme-inhibitor interactions have been discussed in detail to acquire knowledge regarding selective inhibitor designing. This overall knowledge will surely be a curtain raiser for the designing of selective MMPIs as drug candidates in the future.

A robust classification-dependent multi-molecular modelling study on some biphenyl sulphonamide based MMP-8 inhibitors

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of zinc and calcium-dependent endopeptidases, which contribute to different physiological and biological activities via extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. Matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) belongs to type-II collagenases of the MMP family that has contribution in several physiological disorders such as cardiovascular diseases, joint, renal, digestive and respiratory disorders as well as in cancer. In clinical study, MMP-8 is found to be associated with periodontal disease condition. Therefore, MMP-8 specific inhibitors should be developed to target these disorders. The biphenyl sulphonamide (BPS) moiety is one of the crucial structural characteristics found in several MMP-8 inhibitors. Here, different classification-based molecular modelling methods were used to explore the structural features that lead to the activity variation of a series of MMP-8 inhibitors possessing a BPS moiety. Our current classification-based structural analysis of these BPS-derived MMP-8 inhibitors was able to identify the importance of several structural features such as the tetrahydroisoquinoline and N-Boc pyridyl groups, which have positive influences on MMP-8 inhibition. This study was also reflected the importance of the zinc-binding groups (ZBGs) like the hydroxamate and phosphonate for potent and sub-nanomolar range MMP-8 inhibition, which may benefit the development of highly potent MMP-8 inhibitors.

Digestive Inflammation: Role of Proteolytic Dysregulation

Dysregulation of the proteolytic balance is often associated with diseases. Serine proteases and matrix metalloproteases are involved in a multitude of biological processes and notably in the inflammatory response. Within the framework of digestive inflammation, several studies have stressed the role of serine proteases and matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) as key actors in its pathogenesis and pointed to the unbalance between these proteases and their respective inhibitors. Substantial efforts have been made in developing new inhibitors, some of which have reached clinical trial phases, notwithstanding that unwanted side effects remain a major issue. However, studies on the proteolytic imbalance and inhibitors conception are directed toward host serine/MMPs proteases revealing a hitherto overlooked factor, the potential contribution of their bacterial counterpart. In this review, we highlight the role of proteolytic imbalance in human digestive inflammation focusing on serine proteases and MMPs and their respective inhibitors considering both host and bacterial origin.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and its inhibitors in cancer: A minireview

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc dependent proteolytic metalloenzyme. MMP-9 is one of the most complex forms of matrix metalloproteinases. MMP-9 has the ability to degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) components and has important role in the pathophysiological functions. Overexpression and dysregulation of MMP-9 is associated with various diseases. Thus, regulation and inhibition of MMP-9 is an important therapeutic approach for combating various diseases including cancer. Inhibitors of MMP-9 can be used as anticancer agents. Till date no selective MMP-9 inhibitors passed the clinical trials. In this review the structure, activation, function and inhibitors of MMP-9 are mainly focused. Some highly active and/or selective MMP-9 inhibitors have been discussed which may be helpful to explore the structural significance of MMP-9 inhibitors. This study may be useful to design new potent and selective MMP-9 inhibitors against cancer in future.

Prediction of Protein-compound Binding Energies from Known Activity Data: Docking-score-based Method and its Applications

We used protein-compound docking simulations to develop a structure-based quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model. The prediction model used docking scores as descriptors. The binding free energy was approximated by a weighted average of docking scores for multiple proteins. This approximation was based on a pharmacophore model of receptor pockets and compounds. The weights of the docking scores were restricted to small values to avoid unrealistic weights by a regularization term. Additional outlier elimination improved the results. We applied this method to two groups of targets. The first target was the kinase family. The cross-validation results of 107 kinase proteins showed that the RMSE of predicted binding free energies was 1.1 kcal/mol. The second target was the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family, which has been difficult for docking programs. MMPs require metal-binding groups in their inhibitor structures in many cases. A quantum effect contributes to the metal-ligand interaction. Despite this difficulty, the present method worked well for the MMPs. This method showed that the RMSE of predicted binding free energies was 1.1 kcal/mol. In comparison, with the original docking method the RMSE was 1.7 kcal/mol. The results suggest that the present QSAR model should be applied to general target proteins.

Recent opportunities in matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor drug design for cancer

INTRODUCTION

The overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) plays an important role in the context of tumor invasion and metastasis, and MMP-2 has been characterized as the most validated target for cancer. Therefore, it is necessary to design matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors (MMPIs) that would be active and selective against MMP-2 but non-selective toward other MMPs. Areas covered: This article clearly describes the structural character of MMP-2 followed by a review of the recent development of selective MMP-2 inhibitors based on their basic structures. Expert opinion: Over the past 30 years, MMPs have been considered to be attractive cancer targets, and several different types of synthetic inhibitors have been identified as anticancer agents, but only a small number of small MMPIs have been examined in clinical trials, and none of these molecules has been established as anticancer drugs due to their adverse effects. One major possibility is that the MMPIs used in clinical trials were broad-spectrum drugs that also inhibited the anti-tumor effects and influenced the mediation of the normal physiological processes of MMPs. MMP-2 has recently been characterized as the most validated target for cancer. Therefore, the design and synthesis of selective MMP-2 inhibitors would be helpful for the treatment of cancer.