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Mottin M, de Paula Sousa BK, de Moraes Roso Mesquita NC, de Oliveira KIZ, Noske GD, Sartori GR, de Oliveira Albuquerque A, Urbina F, Puhl AC, Moreira-Filho JT, Souza GE, Guido RV, Muratov E, Neves BJ, da Silva JHM, Clark AE, Siqueira-Neto JL, Perryman AL, Oliva G, Ekins S, Andrade CH. Discovery of New Zika Protease and Polymerase Inhibitors through the Open Science Collaboration Project OpenZika. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:6825-6843. [PMID: 36239304 PMCID: PMC9923514 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a neurotropic arbovirus considered a global threat to public health. Although there have been several efforts in drug discovery projects for ZIKV in recent years, there are still no antiviral drugs approved to date. Here, we describe the results of a global collaborative crowdsourced open science project, the OpenZika project, from IBM's World Community Grid (WCG), which integrates different computational and experimental strategies for advancing a drug candidate for ZIKV. Initially, molecular docking protocols were developed to identify potential inhibitors of ZIKV NS5 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NS5 RdRp), NS3 protease (NS2B-NS3pro), and NS3 helicase (NS3hel). Then, a machine learning (ML) model was built to distinguish active vs inactive compounds for the cytoprotective effect against ZIKV infection. We performed three independent target-based virtual screening campaigns (NS5 RdRp, NS2B-NS3pro, and NS3hel), followed by predictions by the ML model and other filters, and prioritized a total of 61 compounds for further testing in enzymatic and phenotypic assays. This yielded five non-nucleoside compounds which showed inhibitory activity against ZIKV NS5 RdRp in enzymatic assays (IC50 range from 0.61 to 17 μM). Two compounds thermally destabilized NS3hel and showed binding affinity in the micromolar range (Kd range from 9 to 35 μM). Moreover, the compounds LabMol-301 inhibited both NS5 RdRp and NS2B-NS3pro (IC50 of 0.8 and 7.4 μM, respectively) and LabMol-212 thermally destabilized the ZIKV NS3hel (Kd of 35 μM). Both also protected cells from death induced by ZIKV infection in in vitro cell-based assays. However, while eight compounds (including LabMol-301 and LabMol-212) showed a cytoprotective effect and prevented ZIKV-induced cell death, agreeing with our ML model for prediction of this cytoprotective effect, no compound showed a direct antiviral effect against ZIKV. Thus, the new scaffolds discovered here are promising hits for future structural optimization and for advancing the discovery of further drug candidates for ZIKV. Furthermore, this work has demonstrated the importance of the integration of computational and experimental approaches, as well as the potential of large-scale collaborative networks to advance drug discovery projects for neglected diseases and emerging viruses, despite the lack of available direct antiviral activity and cytoprotective effect data, that reflects on the assertiveness of the computational predictions. The importance of these efforts rests with the need to be prepared for future viral epidemic and pandemic outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Mottin
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-170, Brazil
- Pathogen-Host Interface Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Bruna Katiele de Paula Sousa
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-170, Brazil
| | | | | | - Gabriela Dias Noske
- São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, Avenida João Dagnone, 1100, São Carlos, São Paulo, 13563-120, Brazil
| | | | | | - Fabio Urbina
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Ana C. Puhl
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - José Teófilo Moreira-Filho
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-170, Brazil
| | - Guilherme E. Souza
- São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, Avenida João Dagnone, 1100, São Carlos, São Paulo, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Rafael V.C. Guido
- São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, Avenida João Dagnone, 1100, São Carlos, São Paulo, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Eugene Muratov
- University of North Carolina - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599, USA
- Universidade Federal de Paraíba, Joao Pessoa, PB, 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Bruno Junior Neves
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-170, Brazil
| | | | - Alex E. Clark
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA
| | - Jair L. Siqueira-Neto
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA
| | - Alexander L. Perryman
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University–New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, United States
- Repare Therapeutics, 7210 Rue Frederick-Banting, Suite 100, Montreal, QC, H4S 2A1, Canada
| | - Glaucius Oliva
- São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, Avenida João Dagnone, 1100, São Carlos, São Paulo, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Carolina Horta Andrade
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-170, Brazil
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Nguyen QV, Chong LC, Hor YY, Lew LC, Rather IA, Choi SB. Role of Probiotics in the Management of COVID-19: A Computational Perspective. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14020274. [PMID: 35057455 PMCID: PMC8781206 DOI: 10.3390/nu14020274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic at the beginning of 2020, causing millions of deaths worldwide. Millions of vaccine doses have been administered worldwide; however, outbreaks continue. Probiotics are known to restore a stable gut microbiota by regulating innate and adaptive immunity within the gut, demonstrating the possibility that they may be used to combat COVID-19 because of several pieces of evidence suggesting that COVID-19 has an adverse impact on gut microbiota dysbiosis. Thus, probiotics and their metabolites with known antiviral properties may be used as an adjunctive treatment to combat COVID-19. Several clinical trials have revealed the efficacy of probiotics and their metabolites in treating patients with SARS-CoV-2. However, its molecular mechanism has not been unraveled. The availability of abundant data resources and computational methods has significantly changed research finding molecular insights between probiotics and COVID-19. This review highlights computational approaches involving microbiome-based approaches and ensemble-driven docking approaches, as well as a case study proving the effects of probiotic metabolites on SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quang Vo Nguyen
- Centre for Bioinformatics, School of Data Sciences, Perdana University, Suite 9.2, 9th Floor, Wisma Chase Perdana, Changkat Semantan, Wilayah Persekutuan, Kuala Lumpur 50490, Malaysia;
| | - Li Chuin Chong
- Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Beykoz, Istanbul 34820, Turkey;
| | - Yan-Yan Hor
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-Ro, Gyeongsan 38541, Gyeongbuk, Korea;
| | - Lee-Ching Lew
- Probionic Corporation, Jeonbuk Institute for Food-Bioindustry, Jeonju 54810, Korea;
| | - Irfan A. Rather
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: (I.A.R.); (S.-B.C.)
| | - Sy-Bing Choi
- Centre for Bioinformatics, School of Data Sciences, Perdana University, Suite 9.2, 9th Floor, Wisma Chase Perdana, Changkat Semantan, Wilayah Persekutuan, Kuala Lumpur 50490, Malaysia;
- Correspondence: (I.A.R.); (S.-B.C.)
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Cataneo AHD, Ávila EP, Mendes LADO, de Oliveira VG, Ferraz CR, de Almeida MV, Frabasile S, Duarte Dos Santos CN, Verri WA, Bordignon J, Wowk PF. Flavonoids as Molecules With Anti- Zika virus Activity. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:710359. [PMID: 34566915 PMCID: PMC8462986 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.710359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-born virus that is mainly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes spp. Since its first isolation in 1947, only a few human cases had been described until large outbreaks occurred on Yap Island (2007), French Polynesia (2013), and Brazil (2015). Most ZIKV-infected individuals are asymptomatic or present with a self-limiting disease and nonspecific symptoms such as fever, myalgia, and headache. However, in French Polynesia and Brazil, ZIKV outbreaks led to the diagnosis of congenital malformations and microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in adults. These new clinical presentations raised concern from public health authorities and highlighted the need for anti-Zika treatments and vaccines to control the neurological damage caused by the virus. Despite many efforts in the search for an effective treatment, neither vaccines nor antiviral drugs have become available to control ZIKV infection and/or replication. Flavonoids, a class of natural compounds that are well-known for possessing several biological properties, have shown activity against different viruses. Additionally, the use of flavonoids in some countries as food supplements indicates that these molecules are nontoxic to humans. Thus, here, we summarize knowledge on the use of flavonoids as a source of anti-ZIKV molecules and discuss the gaps and challenges in this area before these compounds can be considered for further preclinical and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eloah Pereira Ávila
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | | | | | - Camila Rodrigues Ferraz
- Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | | | - Sandra Frabasile
- Sección Virologia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Waldiceu Aparecido Verri
- Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Juliano Bordignon
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Pryscilla Fanini Wowk
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba, Brazil
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Hernandez HW, Soeung M, Zorn KM, Ashoura N, Mottin M, Andrade CH, Caffrey CR, de Siqueira-Neto JL, Ekins S. High Throughput and Computational Repurposing for Neglected Diseases. Pharm Res 2018; 36:27. [PMID: 30560386 PMCID: PMC6792295 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-018-2558-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) represent are a heterogeneous group of communicable diseases that are found within the poorest populations of the world. There are 23 NTDs that have been prioritized by the World Health Organization, which are endemic in 149 countries and affect more than 1.4 billion people, costing these developing economies billions of dollars annually. The NTDs result from four different causative pathogens: protozoa, bacteria, helminth and virus. The majority of the diseases lack effective treatments. Therefore, new therapeutics for NTDs are desperately needed. Methods We describe various high throughput screening and computational approaches that have been performed in recent years. We have collated the molecules identified in these studies and calculated molecular properties. Results Numerous global repurposing efforts have yielded some promising compounds for various neglected tropical diseases. These compounds when analyzed as one would expect appear drug-like. Several large datasets are also now in the public domain and this enables machine learning models to be constructed that then facilitate the discovery of new molecules for these pathogens. Conclusions In the space of a few years many groups have either performed experimental or computational repurposing high throughput screens against neglected diseases. These have identified compounds which in many cases are already approved drugs. Such approaches perhaps offer a more efficient way to develop treatments which are generally not a focus for global pharmaceutical companies because of the economics or the lack of a viable market. Other diseases could perhaps benefit from these repurposing approaches. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11095-018-2558-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melinda Soeung
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kimberley M Zorn
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27606, USA
| | | | - Melina Mottin
- LabMol - Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design Faculdade de Farmacia, Universidade Federal de Goias - UFG, Goiânia, GO, 74605-170, Brazil
| | - Carolina Horta Andrade
- LabMol - Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design Faculdade de Farmacia, Universidade Federal de Goias - UFG, Goiânia, GO, 74605-170, Brazil
| | - Conor R Caffrey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Jair Lage de Siqueira-Neto
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27606, USA.
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