In silico Screening of Pyridoxine Carbamates for Anti-Alzheimer's Activities

Homeostasis and metabolism of iron and other metal ions in neurodegenerative diseases

As essential micronutrients, metal ions such as iron, manganese, copper, and zinc, are required for a wide range of physiological processes in the brain. However, an imbalance in metal ions, whether excessive or insufficient, is detrimental and can contribute to neuronal death through oxidative stress, ferroptosis, cuproptosis, cell senescence, or neuroinflammation. These processes have been found to be involved in the pathological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, the research history and milestone events of studying metal ions, including iron, manganese, copper, and zinc in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington's disease (HD), will be introduced. Then, the upstream regulators, downstream effector, and crosstalk of mental ions under both physiologic and pathologic conditions will be summarized. Finally, the therapeutic effects of metal ion chelators, such as clioquinol, quercetin, curcumin, coumarin, and their derivatives for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases will be discussed. Additionally, the promising results and limitations observed in clinical trials of these metal ion chelators will also be addressed. This review will not only provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of metal ions in disease development but also offer perspectives on their modulation for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking of Shiwei Qingwen Decoction Reveal TNF as a Potential Target for Alleviating Mild COVID-19 Symptoms

Objective: Shiwei Qingwen decoction (SWQWD) is effective in preventing COVID-19. This study examined the active components of SWQWD and its potential targets for preventing COVID-19. The study used network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to verify the role of SWQWD targets through animal experiments and explored the mechanisms that enhance immunity to alleviate mild COVID-19 symptoms. Methods: First, SWQWD- and COVID-19-related targets were retrieved from TCMSP, GeneCards, and OMIM databases. Second, protein–protein interaction networks were established using the String database. The drug active ingredient target network was constructed in Cytoscape to identify the core target proteins. Third, Gene Ontology (GO) Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to predict the SWQWD mechanism of action. Finally, the targets were validated by molecular docking in an acute lung injury (ALI) rat model. Results: The SWQWD compound target network contained 79 compounds and 277 targets, coinciding with the 73 targets of COVID-19. The most important gene in the core subnetwork was a tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The 3 most potent compounds, quercetin, kaempferol, and luteolin, can enter the active pockets of TNF and have potential therapeutic roles in COVID-19. Conclusion: Quercetin, kaempferol, and luteolin in SWQWD may enhance immunity by regulating multiple TNF signal pathways. After administering SWQWD, the content of tumor necrosis factor-α was significantly reduced in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of ALI rats in comparison to the model group. We believe SWQWD is able to prevent and control COVID-19 through the target of TNF.

Searching for Novel Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Inhibitors: Structure-Guided Screening of Natural Compounds for a Tyrosine Kinase Therapeutic Target in Cancers

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a receptor tyrosine kinase molecular target with broad importance for drug discovery, especially in the field of cancer therapeutics. ALK belongs to the insulin receptor superfamily that is involved in various malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and neuroblastoma. ALK has been shown to play a role in cancer progression and metastasis, making it one of the prime targets to develop novel anticancer therapeutics. In this context, natural compounds can be an important resource to unravel novel ALK inhibitors. In this study, we report a structure-based virtual screening of natural compounds from the ZINC database, with an eye to potential inhibitors of ALK. Molecular docking was performed on a natural compound library, and top hits holding good binding affinity, docking score, and specificity toward ALK were selected. The hits were further evaluated based on the PAINS (pan-assay interference compounds) filter, ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, toxicity) properties, PASS (prediction of activity spectra for substances) analysis, and two-dimensional interaction of protein-ligand complexes. Importantly, two natural compounds (ZINC03845566 and ZINC03999625) were identified as potential candidates for ALK, having appreciable affinity and specificity toward the ALK binding pocket and depicting drug-like properties as predicted from ADMET analysis and their physicochemical parameters. An all-atom molecular dynamics simulation for 100 ns on ALK promised stable ALK-ligand complexes. Hence, we conclude that ZINC03845566 and ZINC03999625 can act as potential ALK inhibitors against cancers where ALK plays a role, for example, in lung cancer, among others. All in all, these findings inform future discovery and translational research for ALK inhibitors as anticancer drugs.

Potential Efficacy of β-Amyrin Targeting Mycobacterial Universal Stress Protein by In Vitro and In Silico Approach

The emergence of drug resistance and the limited number of approved antitubercular drugs prompted identification and development of new antitubercular compounds to cure Tuberculosis (TB). In this work, an attempt was made to identify potential natural compounds that target mycobacterial proteins. Three plant extracts (A. aspera, C. gigantea and C. procera) were investigated. The ethyl acetate fraction of the aerial part of A. aspera and the flower ash of C. gigantea were found to be effective against M. tuberculosis H₃₇Rv. Furthermore, the GC-MS analysis of the plant fractions confirmed the presence of active compounds in the extracts. The Mycobacterium target proteins, i.e., available PDB dataset proteins and proteins classified in virulence, detoxification, and adaptation, were investigated. A total of ten target proteins were shortlisted for further study, identified as follows: BpoC, RipA, MazF4, RipD, TB15.3, VapC15, VapC20, VapC21, TB31.7, and MazF9. Molecular docking studies showed that β-amyrin interacted with most of these proteins and its highest binding affinity was observed with Mycobacterium Rv1636 (TB15.3) protein. The stability of the protein-ligand complex was assessed by molecular dynamic simulation, which confirmed that β-amyrin most firmly interacted with Rv1636 protein. Rv1636 is a universal stress protein, which regulates Mycobacterium growth in different stress conditions and, thus, targeting Rv1636 makes M. tuberculosis vulnerable to host-derived stress conditions.

Structural Modifications on Chalcone Framework for Developing New Class of Cholinesterase Inhibitors

Due to the multifaceted pharmacological activities of chalcones, these scaffolds have been considered one of the most privileged frameworks in the drug discovery process. Structurally, chalcones are α, β-unsaturated carbonyl functionalities with two aryl or heteroaryl units. Amongst the numerous pharmacological activities explored for chalcone derivatives, the development of novel chalcone analogs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is among the research topics of most interest. Chalcones possess numerous advantages, such as smaller molecular size, opportunities for further structural modification thereby altering the physicochemical properties, cost-effectiveness, and convenient synthetic methodology. The present review highlights the recent evidence of chalcones as a privileged structure in AD drug development processes. Different classes of chalcone-derived analogs are summarized for the easy understanding of the previously reported analogs as well as the importance of certain functionalities in exhibiting cholinesterase inhibition. In this way, this review will shed light on the medicinal chemistry fraternity for the design and development of novel promising chalcone candidates for the treatment of AD.