Reverse Screening Methods to Search for the Protein Targets of Chemopreventive Compounds

A novel small molecule ZYZ384 targeting SMYD3 for hepatocellular carcinoma via reducing H3K4 trimethylation of the Rac1 promoter

SMYD3 (SET and MYND domain-containing 3) is a histone lysine methyltransferase highly expressed in different types of cancer(s) and is a promising epigenetic target for developing novel antitumor therapeutics. No selective inhibitors for this protein have been developed for cancer treatment. Therefore, the current study describes developing and characterizing a novel small molecule ZYZ384 screened and synthesized based on SMYD3 structure. Virtual screening was initially used to identify a lead compound and followed up by modification to get the novel molecules. Several technologies were used to facilitate compound screening about these novel molecules' binding affinities and inhibition activities with SMYD3 protein; the antitumor activity has been assessed in vitro using various cancer cell lines. In addition, a tumor-bearing nude mice model was established, and the activity of the selected molecule was determined in vivo. Both RNA-seq and chip-seq were performed to explore the antitumor mechanism. This work identified a novel small molecule ZYZ384 targeting SMYD3 with antitumor activity and impaired hepatocellular carcinoma tumor growth by reducing H3K4 trimethylation of the Rac1 promoter triggering the tumor cell cycle arrest through the AKT pathway.

Searching for Protein Off-Targets of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen-Targeting Radioligands in the Salivary Glands

Background: Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radioligand therapies represent a highly effective treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. However, high and sustain uptake of PSMA-ligands in the salivary glands led to dose limiting dry mouth (xerostomia), especially with α-emitters. The expression of PSMA and histologic analysis couldn't directly explain the toxicity, suggesting a potential off-target mediator for uptake. In this study, we set out to search for possible off-target non-PSMA protein(s) in the salivary glands. Methods: A machine-learning based quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) model was built for seeking the possible off-target(s). The resulting target candidates from the model prediction were subjected to further analysis for salivary protein expression and structural homology at key regions required for PSMA-ligand binding. Furthermore, cellular binding assays were performed utilizing multiple cell lines with high expression of the candidate proteins and low expression of PSMA. Finally, PSMA knockout (PSMA-/-) mice were scanned by small animal PET/MR using [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 for in-vivo validation. Results: The screening of the trained QSAR model did not yield a solid off-target protein, which was corroborated in part by cellular binding assays. Imaging using PSMA-/- mice further demonstrated markedly reduced PSMA-radioligand uptake in the salivary glands. Conclusion: Uptake of the PSMA-targeted radioligands in the salivary glands remains primarily PSMA-mediated. Further investigations are needed to illustrate a seemingly different process of uptake and retention in the salivary glands than that in prostate cancer.

Bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids inhibit African swine fever virus internalization and replication by impairing late endosomal/lysosomal function

African swine fever (ASF), caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), is a highly infectious disease afflicting domestic pigs and wild boars. It exhibits an alarming acute infection fatality rate of up to 100%. Regrettably, no commercial vaccines or specific drugs for combating this disease are currently available. This study evaluated the anti-ASFV activities in porcine alveolar macrophages, 3D4/21 cells, and PK-15 cells of four bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BBAs): cepharanthine (CEP), tetrandrine, fangchinoline, and iso-tetrandrine. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CEP, which exhibited the highest selectivity index (SI = 81.31), alkalized late endosomes/lysosomes, hindered ASFV endosomal transport, disrupted virus uncoating signals, and thereby inhibited ASFV internalization. Additionally, CEP disrupted ASFV DNA synthesis, leading to the inhibition of viral replication. Moreover, berbamine was labeled with NBD to synthesize a fluorescent probe to study the cellular location of these BBAs. By co-staining with Lyso-Tracker and lysosome-associated membrane protein 1, we demonstrated that BBAs target the endolysosomal compartments for the first time. Our data together indicated that BBAs are a class of natural products with significant inhibitory effects against ASFV infection. These findings suggest their potential efficacy as agents for the prevention and control of ASF, offering valuable references for the identification of potential drug targets.IMPORTANCEThe urgency and severity of African swine fever (ASF) underscore the critical need for effective interventions against this highly infectious disease, which poses a grave threat to domestic pigs and wild boars. Our study reveals the potent anti-African swine fever virus (ASFV) efficacy of bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BBAs), particularly evident in the absence of progeny virus production under a 5 µM concentration treatment. The structural similarity among cepharanthine, tetrandrine, fangchinoline, and iso-tetrandrine, coupled with their analogous inhibitory stages and comparable selectivity indexes, strongly suggests a shared antiviral mechanism within this drug category. Further investigation revealed that BBAs localize to lysosomes and inhibit the internalization and replication of ASFV by disrupting the endosomal/lysosomal function. These collective results have profound implications for ASF prevention and control, suggesting the potential of the investigated agents as prophylactic and therapeutic measures. Furthermore, our study offers crucial insights into identifying drug targets and laying the groundwork for innovative interventions.

Targeted Restoration of GPX3 Attenuates Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Balancing Selenoprotein Expression and Inhibiting ROS-mediated Mitochondrial Apoptosis

BACKGROUND

Renal ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury is the leading cause of acute kidney injury in both autologous and transplanted kidneys. Low-level glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) is associated with renal IR injury. The exact mechanism of targeted GPX3 restoration in renal IR injury has yet to be determined.

METHODS

The distribution of GPX3 in different tissues and organs of the body was investigated. The level of GPX3 in renal IR injury was assessed. To confirm the action of GPX3 and its mechanisms, IR models were used to introduce adeno-associated virus 9 containing GPX3, as well as hypoxia/reoxygenation-exposed normal rat kidney cells that consistently overexpressed GPX3. Reverse molecular docking was used to confirm whether GPX3 was a target of ebselen.

RESULTS

GPX3 is abundant in the kidneys and decreases in expression during renal IR injury. GPX3 overexpression reduced renal IR injury and protected tubular epithelial cells from apoptosis. Proteomics analysis revealed a strong link between GPX3 and mitochondrial signaling, cellular redox state, and different expression patterns of selenoproteins. GPX3 inhibited reactive oxygen species-induced mitochondrial apoptosis and balanced the disordered expression of selenoproteins. GPX3 was identified as a stable selenoprotein that interacts with ebselen. Ebselen enhanced the level of GPX3 and reduced IR-induced mitochondrial damage and renal dysfunction.

CONCLUSIONS

Targeted restoration of GPX3 attenuates renal IR injury by balancing selenoprotein expression and inhibiting reactive oxygen species-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis, indicating that GPX3 could be a potential therapeutic target for renal IR injury.

In silico drug design strategies for discovering novel tuberculosis therapeutics

INTRODUCTION

Tuberculosis remains a significant concern in global public health due to its intricate biology and propensity for developing antibiotic resistance. Discovering new drugs is a protracted and expensive endeavor, often spanning over a decade and incurring costs in the billions. However, computer-aided drug design (CADD) has surfaced as a nimbler and more cost-effective alternative. CADD tools enable us to decipher the interactions between therapeutic targets and novel drugs, making them invaluable in the quest for new tuberculosis treatments.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, the authors explore recent advancements in tuberculosis drug discovery enabled by in silico tools. The main objectives of this review article are to highlight emerging drug candidates identified through in silico methods and to provide an update on the therapeutic targets associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

EXPERT OPINION

These in silico methods have not only streamlined the drug discovery process but also opened up new horizons for finding novel drug candidates and repositioning existing ones. The continued advancements in these fields hold great promise for more efficient, ethical, and successful drug development in the future.

Computational Approaches and Drug Discovery: Where Are We Going?

Science is a point of view [...].

In silico anti-viral assessment of phytoconstituents in a traditional (Siddha Medicine) polyherbal formulation - Targeting Mpro and pan-coronavirus post-fusion Spike protein

Background and aim

Novel nature of the viral pathogen SARS-CoV-2 and the absence of standard drugs for treatment, have been a major challenge to combat this deadly infection. Natural products offer safe and effective remedy, for which traditional ethnic medicine can provide leads. An indigenous poly-herbal formulation, Kabasura Kudineer from Siddha system of medicine was evaluated here using a combination of computational approaches, to identify potential inhibitors against two anti-SARS-CoV-2 targets - post-fusion Spike protein (structural protein) and main protease (Mpro, non-structural protein).

Experimental procedure

We docked 32 phytochemicals from the poly-herbal formulation against viral post-fusion Spike glycoprotein and Mpro followed by molecular dynamics using Schrodinger software. Drug-likeness analysis was performed using machine learning (ML) approach and pkCSM.

Results

The binding affinity of the phytochemicals in Kabasura Kudineer revealed the following top-five bioactives: Quercetin > Luteolin > Chrysoeriol > 5-Hydroxy-7,8-Dimethoxyflavone > Scutellarein against Mpro target, and Gallic acid > Piperlonguminine > Chrysoeriol > Elemol > Piperine against post-fusion Spike protein target. Quercetin and Gallic acid exhibited binding stability in complexation with their respective viral-targets and favourable free energy change as revealed by the molecular dynamics simulations and MM-PBSA analysis. In silico predicted pharmacokinetic profiling of these ligands revealed appropriate drug-likeness properties.

Conclusion

These outcomes provide: (a) potential mechanism for the anti-viral efficacy of the indigenous Siddha formulation, targeting Mpro and post-fusion Spike protein (b) top bioactive lead-molecules that may be developed as natural product-based anti-viral pharmacotherapy and their pleiotropic protective effects may be leveraged to manage co-morbidities associated with COVID-19.

Frentizole, a Nontoxic Immunosuppressive Drug, and Its Analogs Display Antitumor Activity via Tubulin Inhibition

Antimitotic agents are one of the more successful types of anticancer drugs, but they suffer from toxicity and resistance. The application of approved drugs to new indications (i.e., drug repurposing) is a promising strategy for the development of new drugs. It relies on finding pattern similarities: drug effects to other drugs or conditions, similar toxicities, or structural similarity. Here, we recursively searched a database of approved drugs for structural similarity to several antimitotic agents binding to a specific site of tubulin, with the expectation of finding structures that could fit in it. These searches repeatedly retrieved frentizole, an approved nontoxic anti-inflammatory drug, thus indicating that it might behave as an antimitotic drug devoid of the undesired toxic effects. We also show that the usual repurposing approach to searching for targets of frentizole failed in most cases to find such a relationship. We synthesized frentizole and a series of analogs to assay them as antimitotic agents and found antiproliferative activity against HeLa tumor cells, inhibition of microtubule formation within cells, and arrest at the G2/M phases of the cell cycle, phenotypes that agree with binding to tubulin as the mechanism of action. The docking studies suggest binding at the colchicine site in different modes. These results support the repurposing of frentizole for cancer treatment, especially for glioblastoma.

In silico docking and Molecular Dynamic (MD) simulations studies of selected phytochemicals against Human Glycolate Oxidase (hGOX) and Oxalate oxidase (OxO)

Globally, Urolithiasis is the most prevalent urological problem which affects the populations across the ages and races. In recent years, several phytochemicals are being investigated to improve the efficacy and safety of anti-urolithiasis formulations. To develop drugs based on traditional medicines, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanism of action of these drugs. We present the results of in silico docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation studies on selected phytochemical including catechin, epicatechin, gallic acid, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin 3-o-gallate, 4-methoxy-nor-securine, nor-securinine, and fisetin with human glycolate oxidase (hGOX) and oxalate oxidase (OxO). Gallic acid, gallocatechin and fisetin showed better docking scores than the rest. In MD simulation analysis, stable interactions of the gallic acid with hGOX and OxO; gallocatechin and fisetin with hGOX were observed. It was found that, gallic acid stably interacts withTYR26, LYS 236, ARG 315, and ASP 291 residues of hGOX. On other hand, gallic acid stably interacs with GLU 58 residue of OxO. Gallocatechin, forms stable interactions with TYR 26, ASP 170, ARG 167 and THR 161 of HGOX. In MD simulations, fisetin stably interacted with TYR 26, TRP110 and ARG 263 as we predicted in molecular docking. None of the interactions was formed during the MD simulation of OxO with gallocatechin and fisetin. Together, these results suggest that gallic acid, gallocatechin and fisetin are the potential candidates for the development of phytochemicals for the management of urolithiasis in humans.

Facile preparation of silver based radiosensitizers via biomineralization method for enhanced in vivo breast cancer radiotherapy

To solve the traditional radiotherapy obstacles, and also to enhance the radiation therapy efficacy various radiosensitizers have been developed. Radiosensitizers are promising agents that under X-ray irradiation enhance injury to tumor tissue by accelerating DNA damage. In this report, silver-silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag-Ag2S NPs) were synthesized via a facile, one-pot and environmentally friendly biomineralization method. Ag-Ag2S was coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) in situ and applied as an X-ray sensitizer to enhance the efficiency of radiotherapy. Also, folic acid (FA) was conjugated to Ag-Ag2S@BSA to impart active targeting capability to the final formulation (Ag-Ag2S@BSA-FA). Prepared NPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopes (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Results show that most of the NPs have well-defined uniform Janus structures. The biocompatibility of the NPs was then evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. A series of in vitro assays were performed on 4T1 cancer cells to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the designed NPs. In addition, the radio-enhancing ability of the NPs was tested on the 4T1 breast cancer murine model. MTT, live and dead cell staining, apoptosis, ROS generation, and clonogenic in vitro assays demonstrated the efficacy of NPs as radiosensitizers in radiotherapy. In vivo results as well as H&E staining tumor tissues confirmed tumor destruction in the group that received Ag-Ag2S@BSA-FA NPs and exposed to X-ray. The results showed that prepared tumor-targeted Ag-Ag2S@BSA-FA NPs could be potential candidates as radiosensitizers for enhanced radiotherapy.

An in silico insight on the mechanistic aspects of gelsenicine toxicity: A reverse screening study pointing to the possible involvement of acetylcholine binding receptor

Gelsedine-type alkaloids are highly toxic plant secondary metabolites produced by shrubs belonging to the Gelsemium genus. Gelsenicine is one of the most concerning gelsedine-type alkaloids with a lethal dose lower than 1 mg/Kg in mice. Several reported episodes of poisoning in livestock and fatality cases in humans due to the usage of Gelsemium plants extracts were reported. Also, gelsedine-type alkaloids were found in honey constituting a potential food safety issue. However, their toxicological understanding is scarce and the molecular mechanism underpinning their toxicity needs further investigations. In this context, an in silico approach based on reverse screening, docking and molecular dynamics successfully identified a possible gelsenicine biological target shedding light on its toxicodynamics. In line with the available crystallographic data, it emerged gelsenicine could target the acetylcholine binding protein possibly acting as a partial agonist against α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Overall, these results agreed with evidence previously reported and prioritized AChR for further dedicated analysis.

Drug repurposing-a promising approach for patients with angina but non-obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA)

In today's era of individualized precision medicine drug repurposing represents a promising approach to offer patients fast access to novel treatments. Apart from drug repurposing in cancer treatments, cardiovascular pharmacology is another attractive field for this approach. Patients with angina pectoris without obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) report refractory angina despite standard medications in up to 40% of cases. Drug repurposing also appears to be an auspicious option for this indication. From a pathophysiological point of view ANOCA patients frequently suffer from vasomotor disorders such as coronary spasm and/or impaired microvascular vasodilatation. Consequently, we carefully screened the literature and identified two potential therapeutic targets: the blockade of the endothelin-1 (ET-1) receptor and the stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC). Genetically increased endothelin expression results in elevated levels of ET-1, justifying ET-1 receptor blockers as drug candidates to treat coronary spasm. sGC stimulators may be beneficial as they stimulate the NO-sGC-cGMP pathway leading to GMP-mediated vasodilatation.

Mycolactone: A Broad Spectrum Multitarget Antiviral Active in the Picomolar Range for COVID-19 Prevention and Cure

We have previously shown computationally that Mycolactone (MLN), a toxin produced by Mycobacterium ulcerans, strongly binds to Munc18b and other proteins, presumably blocking degranulation and exocytosis of blood platelets and mast cells. We investigated the effect of MLN on endocytosis using similar approaches, and it bound strongly to the N-terminal of the clathrin protein and a novel SARS-CoV-2 fusion protein. Experimentally, we found 100% inhibition up to 60 nM and 84% average inhibition at 30 nM in SARS-CoV-2 live viral assays. MLN was also 10× more potent than remdesivir and molnupiravir. MLN's toxicity against human alveolar cell line A549, immortalized human fetal renal cell line HEK293, and human hepatoma cell line Huh7.1 were 17.12%, 40.30%, and 36.25%, respectively. The cytotoxicity IC₅₀ breakpoint ratio versus anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity was more than 65-fold. The IC₅₀ values against the alpha, delta, and Omicron variants were all below 0.020 µM, and 134.6 nM of MLN had 100% inhibition in an entry and spread assays. MLN is eclectic in its actions through its binding to Sec61, AT2R, and the novel fusion protein, making it a good drug candidate for treating and preventing COVID-19 and other similarly transmitted enveloped viruses and pathogens.

Novel tryptanthrin derivatives with benzenesulfonamide substituents: Design, synthesis, and anti-inflammatory evaluation

Herein, two series of tryptanthrin derivatives with benzenesulfonamide substituents were designed and synthesized to discover novel anti-inflammatory agents. The anti-inflammatory activities of all derivatives were screened by evaluating their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells. Among them, compound 8j exhibited the best NO inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 1.25 ± 0.21 μM), with no obvious toxicity. Further evaluation showed that 8j could also significantly reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β, IC₅₀ = 8.48 ± 0.23 μM) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, IC₅₀ = 11.53 ± 0.35 μM) and downregulate the LPS-induced expression of iNOS and COX-2. Reverse docking of 8j suggested p38α as the molecular target, which is a well-known crucial player in the p38 MAPK signaling pathway that controls the transcription of pro-inflammatory mediators. Cellular thermal shift assay showed that 8j efficiently stabilized p38α in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. Western blot showed that inflammatory response was inhibited by 8j through inhibiting the phosphorylation of p38α and MK2 in the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Finally, In vivo studies showed that 8j could significantly ameliorate the degree of foot swelling and knee joint pathology in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats and reduce levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in serum, achieving the effect of protecting synovial tissue and ameliorating arthritis. These findings suggested that 8j may be a promising compound for further development of anti-inflammatory agents.

How to Design Peptides

Novel design of proteins to target receptors for treatment or tissue augmentation has come to the fore owing to advancements in computing power, modeling frameworks, and translational successes. Shorter proteins, or peptides, can offer combinatorial synergies with dendrimer, polymer, or other peptide carriers for enhanced local signaling, which larger proteins may sterically hinder. Here, we present a generalized method for designing a novel peptide. We first show how to create a script protocol that can be used to iteratively optimize and screen novel peptide sequences for binding a target protein. We present a step-by-step introduction to utilizing file repositories, data bases, and the Rosetta software suite. RosettaScripts, an .xml interface that allows for sequential functions to be performed, is used to order the functions for repeatable performance. These strategies may lead to more groups venturing into computational design, which may result in synergies from artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) to phage display and screening. Importantly, the beginner is expected to be able to design their first peptide ligand and begin their journey in peptide drug discovery. Generally, these peptides potentially could be used to interact with any enzyme or receptor, for example, in the study of chemokines and their interactions with glycosoaminoglycans and their receptors.

End-to-end sequence-structure-function meta-learning predicts genome-wide chemical-protein interactions for dark proteins

Systematically discovering protein-ligand interactions across the entire human and pathogen genomes is critical in chemical genomics, protein function prediction, drug discovery, and many other areas. However, more than 90% of gene families remain "dark"-i.e., their small-molecule ligands are undiscovered due to experimental limitations or human/historical biases. Existing computational approaches typically fail when the dark protein differs from those with known ligands. To address this challenge, we have developed a deep learning framework, called PortalCG, which consists of four novel components: (i) a 3-dimensional ligand binding site enhanced sequence pre-training strategy to encode the evolutionary links between ligand-binding sites across gene families; (ii) an end-to-end pretraining-fine-tuning strategy to reduce the impact of inaccuracy of predicted structures on function predictions by recognizing the sequence-structure-function paradigm; (iii) a new out-of-cluster meta-learning algorithm that extracts and accumulates information learned from predicting ligands of distinct gene families (meta-data) and applies the meta-data to a dark gene family; and (iv) a stress model selection step, using different gene families in the test data from those in the training and development data sets to facilitate model deployment in a real-world scenario. In extensive and rigorous benchmark experiments, PortalCG considerably outperformed state-of-the-art techniques of machine learning and protein-ligand docking when applied to dark gene families, and demonstrated its generalization power for target identifications and compound screenings under out-of-distribution (OOD) scenarios. Furthermore, in an external validation for the multi-target compound screening, the performance of PortalCG surpassed the rational design from medicinal chemists. Our results also suggest that a differentiable sequence-structure-function deep learning framework, where protein structural information serves as an intermediate layer, could be superior to conventional methodology where predicted protein structures were used for the compound screening. We applied PortalCG to two case studies to exemplify its potential in drug discovery: designing selective dual-antagonists of dopamine receptors for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), and illuminating the understudied human genome for target diseases that do not yet have effective and safe therapeutics. Our results suggested that PortalCG is a viable solution to the OOD problem in exploring understudied regions of protein functional space.

Neutrophil Immunomodulatory Activity of Nerolidol, a Major Component of Essential Oils from Populus balsamifera Buds and Propolis

Propolis is a resinous mixture of substances collected and processed from various botanical sources by honeybees. Black poplar (Populus balsamifera L.) buds are one of the primary sources of propolis. Despite their reported therapeutic properties, little is known about the innate immunomodulatory activity of essential oils from P. balsamifera and propolis. In the present studies, essential oils were isolated from the buds of P. balsamifera and propolis collected in Montana. The main components of the essential oil from P. balsamifera were E-nerolidol (64.0%), 1,8-cineole (10.8%), benzyl benzoate (3.7%), α-terpinyl acetate (2.7%), α-pinene (1.8%), o-methyl anisol (1.8%), salicylaldehyde (1.8%), and benzyl salicylate (1.6%). Likewise, the essential oil from propolis was enriched with E-nerolidol (14.4%), cabreuva oxide-VI (7.9%), α-bisabolol (7.1%), benzyl benzoate (6.1%), β-eudesmol (3.6%), T-cadinol (3.1%), 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (3.1%), α-eudesmol (3.0%), fokienol (2.2%), nerolidol oxide derivative (1.9%), decanal (1.8%), 3-butenyl benzene (1.5%), 1,4-dihydronaphthalene (1.5%), selina-4,11-diene (1.5%), α-cadinol (1.5%), linalool (1.4%), γ-cadinene (1.4%), 2-phenylethyl-2-methyl butyrate (1.4%), 2-methyl-2-butenol (1.3%), octanal (1.1%), benzylacetone (1.1%), and eremoligenol (1.1%). A comparison between P. balsamifera and propolis essential oils demonstrated that 22 compounds were found in both essential oil samples. Both were enriched in E-nerolidol and its derivatives, including cabreuva oxide VI and nerolidol oxides. P. balsamifera and propolis essential oils and pure nerolidol activated Ca²⁺ influx in human neutrophils. Since these treatments activated neutrophils, the essential oil samples were also evaluated for their ability to down-regulate the neutrophil responses to subsequent agonist activation. Indeed, treatment with P. balsamifera and propolis essential oils inhibited subsequent activation of these cells by the N-formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1) agonist fMLF and the FPR2 agonist WKYMVM. Likewise, nerolidol inhibited human neutrophil activation induced by fMLF (IC₅₀ = 4.0 μM) and WKYMVM (IC₅₀ = 3.7 μM). Pretreatment with the essential oils and nerolidol also inhibited human neutrophil chemotaxis induced by fMLF, again suggesting that these treatments down-regulated human neutrophil responses to inflammatory chemoattractants. Finally, reverse pharmacophore mapping predicted several potential kinase targets for nerolidol. Thus, our studies have identified nerolidol as a potential anti-inflammatory modulator of human neutrophils.

Complementary Dual Approach for In Silico Target Identification of Potential Pharmaceutical Compounds in Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease caused by mutation of the CFTR gene, which encodes a chloride and bicarbonate transporter in epithelial cells. Due to the vast range of geno- and phenotypes, it is difficult to find causative treatments; however, small-molecule therapeutics have been clinically approved in the last decade. Still, the search for novel therapeutics is ongoing, and thousands of compounds are being tested in different assays, often leaving their mechanism of action unknown. Here, we bring together a CFTR-specific compound database (CandActCFTR) and systems biology model (CFTR Lifecycle Map) to identify the targets of the most promising compounds. We use a dual inverse screening approach, where we employ target- and ligand-based methods to suggest targets of 309 active compounds in the database amongst 90 protein targets from the systems biology model. Overall, we identified 1038 potential target–compound pairings and were able to suggest targets for all 309 active compounds in the database.

Icaritin inhibits CDK2 expression and activity to interfere with tumor progression

Icaritin has shown antitumor activity in a variety of human solid tumors and myeloid leukemia cells. However, the direct target of icaritin and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In our study, CDK2 was found to be a direct target of icaritin in tumor cells. On one hand, icaritin interacted with CDK2 and interfered with CDK2/CyclinE complex formation, resulting in downregulation of CDK2 activity as illustrated with attenuated phosphorylation of FOXO1, Rb, and P27, and E2F/Rb dissociation. On the other hand, icaritin reduced the stability and translation efficiency of CDK2-mRNA by modulating microRNA-597 expression. To be of functional importance, icaritin inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo, which was consistent with CDK2 inhibitors—k03861. Our data revealed CDK2 as the direct target of icaritin for its antitumor effects, which may suggest new therapeutics of icaritin or combinational therapeutics involving both icaritin and CDK2 inhibitors for cancers.

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Icaritin can interact with CDK2 and affect the biological role of CDK2

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Icaritin inhibits the formation of CDK2/cyclin E complex and the activity of CDK2

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Icaritin enhance the inhibitory effect of P27 on CDK2

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Icaritin regulates tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis in a CDK2-dependent manner

Marine Natural Products in Clinical Use

Marine natural products are potent and promising sources of drugs among other natural products of plant, animal, and microbial origin. To date, 20 drugs from marine sources are in clinical use. Most approved marine compounds are antineoplastic, but some are also used for chronic neuropathic pain, for heparin overdosage, as haptens and vaccine carriers, and for omega-3 fatty-acid supplementation in the diet. Marine drugs have diverse structural characteristics and mechanisms of action. A considerable increase in the number of marine drugs approved for clinical use has occurred in the past few decades, which may be attributed to increasing research on marine compounds in laboratories across the world. In the present manuscript, we comprehensively studied all marine drugs that have been successfully used in the clinic. Researchers and clinicians are hopeful to discover many more drugs, as a large number of marine natural compounds are being investigated in preclinical and clinical studies.

Anticancer effects of marine compounds blocking the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway

The abnormal expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) target genes is closely related to the occurrence, metastasis, and invasion of tumor cells and is an inhibitor of their apoptosis. In recent years, the unique biodiversity in the marine environment has aroused great interest. Many studies indicate that some marine compounds exert anticancer effects on most common human tumors by modulating the NF-κB signaling pathway. In this study, 26 marine compounds that reduce cancer cell survival by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway were reviewed. They were derived from a wide range of sources, including sponges, fungi, algae and their derivatives or metabolites. These marine compounds exert antitumor effects through the canonical, noncanonical and atypical NF-κB signaling pathways; however, most of their anticancer targets and mechanisms remain unclear, and more research is needed in the future. Our article provides comprehensive information for researchers investigating the bioactivities of marine compounds and developing marine-derived anticancer drugs.

Design, Synthesis, Bioactivity Evaluation, Crystal Structures, and In Silico Studies of New α-Amino Amide Derivatives as Potential Histone Deacetylase 6 Inhibitors

Hydroxamate, as a zinc-binding group (ZBG), prevails in the design of histone deacetylase 6(HDAC6) inhibitors due to its remarkable zinc-chelating capability. However, hydroxamate-associated genotoxicity and mutagenicity have limited the widespread application of corresponding HDAC6 inhibitors in the treatment of human diseases. To avoid such side effects, researchers are searching for novel ZBGs that may be used for the synthesis of HDAC6 inhibitors. In this study, a series of stereoisomeric compounds were designed and synthesized to discover non-hydroxamate HDAC6 inhibitors using α-amino amide as zinc-ion-chelating groups, along with a pair of enantiomeric isomers with inverted L-shaped vertical structure as cap structures. The anti-proliferative activities were determined against HL-60, Hela, and RPMI 8226 cells, and 7a and its stereoisomer 13a exhibited excellent activities against Hela cells with IC₅₀ = 0.31 µM and IC₅₀ = 5.19 µM, respectively. Interestingly, there is a significant difference between the two stereoisomers. Moreover, an evaluation of cytotoxicity toward human normal liver cells HL-7702 indicated its safety for normal cells. X-ray single crystal diffraction was employed to increase insights into molecule structure and activities. It was found that the carbonyl of the amide bond is on the different side from the amino and pyridine nitrogen atoms. To identify possible protein targets to clarify the mechanism of action and biological activity of 7a, a small-scale virtual screen using reverse docking for HDAC isoforms (1–10) was performed and the results showed that HDAC6 was the best receptor for 7a, suggesting that HDAC6 may be a potential target for 7a. The interaction pattern analysis showed that the α-amino amide moiety of 7a coordinated with the zinc ion of HDAC6 in a bidentate chelate manner, which is similar to the chelation pattern of hydroxamic acid. Finally, the molecular dynamics simulation approaches were used to assess the docked complex’s conformational stability. In this work, we identified 7a as a potential HDAC6 inhibitor and provide some references for the discovery of non-hydroxamic acid HDAC6 inhibitors.

What are the challenges with multi-targeted drug design for complex diseases?

INTRODUCTION

Current findings on multifactorial diseases with a complex pathomechanism confirm that multi-target drugs are more efficient ways in treating them as opposed to single-target drugs. However, to design multi-target ligands, a number of factors and challenges must be taken into account.

AREAS COVERED

In this perspective, we summarize the concept of application of multi-target drugs for the treatment of complex diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, schizophrenia, diabetes, and cancer. We discuss the aspects of target selection for multifunctional ligands and the application of in silico methods in their design and optimization. Furthermore, we highlight other challenges such as balancing affinities to different targets and drug-likeness of obtained compounds. Finally, we present success stories in the design of multi-target ligands for the treatment of common complex diseases.

EXPERT OPINION

Despite numerous challenges resulting from the design of multi-target ligands, these efforts are worth making. Appropriate target selection, activity balancing, and ligand drug-likeness belong to key aspects in the design of ligands acting on multiple targets. It should be emphasized that in silico methods, in particular inverse docking, pharmacophore modeling, machine learning methods and approaches derived from network pharmacology are valuable tools for the design of multi-target drugs.

Thymoquinone (TQ) Inhibits Inflammation and Migration of THP-1 Macrophages: Mechanistic Insights into the Prevention of Atherosclerosis Using In-Vitro and In-Silico Analysis

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease mediated by interferon (IFN-γ) in concert with cell adhesion molecules and chemokines. Thymoquinone (TQ), a flavonoid derived from Nigella sativa, is reported to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cardiovascular protective properties. We evaluated the effects of TQ on the key pathogenic stages of atherosclerosis, including cell viability, inflammatory gene expression, cell migration, and cholesterol efflux, on human THP-1 macrophages in-vitro. Moreover, in-silico analysis was performed to predict the molecular targets and signaling mechanisms. We demonstrated that TQ treatment had no effect on cell viability and decreased the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) in response to IFN-γ. In addition, we have also demonstrated that the THP-1 cell migration was inhibited by TQ in the absence or presence of MCP-1. Thymoquinone had no effect on cholesterol efflux from monocytes. In-silico analysis also identified several putative targets for TQ that are associated with inflammatory diseases and associated signaling pathways. Collectively, these results suggest that TQ has anti-inflammatory effects and may be a potential nutraceutical candidate for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

Wenfei Buqi Tongluo Formula Against Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis by Inhibiting TGF-β/Smad3 Pathway

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is the end stage of various chronic and progressive interstitial lung diseases. TGF-β, a profibrotic cytokine, can promote epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation, and fibroblast proliferation, which contribute to progressive lung remodeling in PF. The Wenfei Buqi Tongluo (WBT) formula has been certified to be effective in the prevention and treatment of PF in clinical practice and has inhibitory effects on EMT, inflammation, and profibrotic factors. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of WBT against PF need to be further explored. In this study, we first analyzed the chemical components of the WBT formula using the UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS analysis. The potential targets of the identified compounds from WBT were predicted by the network pharmacology, which was confirmed by in vivo and in vitro study. After screening by the PubChem database, we first identified the 36 compounds of WBT and predicted the TGF-β signaling pathway, with ECM degradation as potential mechanism of WBT against PF by the network pharmacology. Furthermore, WBT treatment inhibited the levels of TGF-β and Smad3 phosphorylation and subsequently alleviated EMT and ECM accumulation in the bleomycin-induced mouse model and TGF-β1–induced cell model. These findings indicate that WBT can block the progressive process of PF by inhibiting EMT and promoting ECM degradation via the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway. This study may provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of WBT for the prevention and treatment of PF in the clinical application.

Repurposing α-Adrenoreceptor Blockers as Promising Anti-Virulence Agents in Gram-Negative Bacteria

Antimicrobial resistance is among the world’s most urgent public health problems. Diminishing of the virulence of bacteria is a promising approach to decrease the development of bacterial resistance. Quorum sensing (QS) systems orchestrate the bacterial virulence in inducer–receptors manner. Bacteria can spy on the cells of the host by sensing adrenergic hormones and other neurotransmitters, and in turn, these neurotransmitters can induce bacterial pathogenesis. In this direction, α-adrenergic blockers were proposed as an anti-virulence agents through inhibiting the bacterial espionage. The current study aimed to explore the α-blockers’ anti-QS activities. Within comprehensive in silico investigation, the binding affinities of seven α-adrenoreceptor blockers were evaluated towards structurally different QS receptors. From the best docked α-blockers into QS receptors, terazosin was nominated to be subjected for further in vivo and in vitro anti-QS and anti-virulence activities against Chromobacterium violaceum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Terazosin showed a significant ability to diminish the QS-controlled pigment production in C. violaceum. Moreover, Terazosin decreased the P. aeruginosa biofilm formation and down-regulated its QS-encoding genes. Terazosin protected mice from the P. aeruginosa pathogenesis. In conclusion, α-adrenergic blockers are proposed as promising anti-virulence agents as they hinder QS receptors and inhibit bacterial espionage.

Systematic analysis of the potential off-target activities of osimertinib by computational target fishing

Osimertinib is a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat non-small cell lung cancer. However, its off-targets are obscure, and systematic analysis of off-target activities remains to be performed. Here, we identified the off-targets of osimertinib using PharmMapper and DRAR-CPI and analyzed the intersected targets using the GeneMANIA and DAVID servers. A drug-target-pathway network was constructed to visualize the associations. The results showed that osimertinib is associated with 31 off-targets, 40 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, and 9 diseases. Network analysis revealed that the targets were involved in cancer and other physiological processes. In addition to EGFR, molecular docking analysis showed that seven proteins, namely Janus kinase 3, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, renin, mitogen-activated protein kinases, lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase, cell division protein kinase 2 and proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src, could also be potential targets of osimertinib. In conclusion, osimertinib is predicted to target multiple proteins and pathways, resulting in the formation of an action network via which it exerts systematic pharmacological effects.

Current Role of Nanotechnology Used in Food Processing Industry to Control Food Additives and Exploring Their Biochemical Mechanisms

BACKGROUND

With the advent of food additives centuries ago, the human race has found ways to improve and maintain the safety of utility, augment the taste, color, texture, nutritional value, and appearance of the food. Since the 19th century, when the science behind food spoilage was discerned, the use of food additives in food preservation has been increasing worldwide and at a fast pace to get along with modern lifestyles. Although food additives are thought to be used to benefit the food market, some of them are found to be associated with several health issues at an alarming rate. Studies are still going on regarding the mechanisms by which food additives affect public health. Therefore, an attempt has been made to find out the remedies by exploiting technologies that may convey new properties of food additives that can only enhance the quality of food without having any systemic side effects. Thus, this review focuses on the applications of nanotechnology in the production of nano-food additives and evaluates its success regarding reduction in the health-related hazards collaterally maintaining the food nutrient value.

METHODOLOGY

A thorough literature study was performed using scientific databases like PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science for determining the design of the study, and each article was checked for citation and referred to formulate the present review article.

CONCLUSION

Nanotechnology can be applied in the food processing industry to control the unregulated use of food additives and to intervene in the biochemical mechanisms at a cellular and physiological level for the ensuring safety of food products. The prospective of nano-additive of chemical origin could be useful to reduce risks of hazards related to human health that are caused majorly due to the invasion of food contaminants (either intentional or non-intentional) into food, though this area still needs scientific validation. Therefore, this review provides comprehensive knowledge on different facets of food contaminants and also serves as a platform of ideas for encountering health risk problems about the design of improved versions of nano-additives.

Visualizing Phytochemical-Protein Interaction Networks: Momordica charantia and Cancer

The in silico study of medicinal plants is a rapidly growing field. Techniques such as reverse screening and network pharmacology are used to study the complex cellular action of medicinal plants against disease. However, it is difficult to produce a meaningful visualization of phytochemical-protein interactions (PCPIs) in the cell. This study introduces a novel workflow combining various tools to visualize a PCPI network for a medicinal plant against a disease. The five steps are 1) phytochemical compilation, 2) reverse screening, 3) network building, 4) network visualization, and 5) evaluation. The output is a PCPI network that encodes multiple dimensions of information, including subcellular location, phytochemical class, pharmacokinetic data, and prediction probability. As a proof of concept, we built a PCPI network for bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) against colorectal cancer. The network and workflow are available at https://yumibriones.github.io/network/. The PCPI network highlights high-confidence interactions for further in vitro or in vivo study. The overall workflow is broadly transferable and can be used to visualize the action of other medicinal plants or small molecules against other diseases.

Exploration of Dark Chemical Genomics Space via Portal Learning: Applied to Targeting the Undruggable Genome and COVID-19 Anti-Infective Polypharmacology

Advances in biomedicine are largely fueled by exploring uncharted territories of human biology. Machine learning can both enable and accelerate discovery, but faces a fundamental hurdle when applied to unseen data with distributions that differ from previously observed ones-a common dilemma in scientific inquiry. We have developed a new deep learning framework, called Portal Learning, to explore dark chemical and biological space. Three key, novel components of our approach include: (i) end-to-end, step-wise transfer learning, in recognition of biology's sequence-structure-function paradigm, (ii) out-of-cluster meta-learning, and (iii) stress model selection. Portal Learning provides a practical solution to the out-of-distribution (OOD) problem in statistical machine learning. Here, we have implemented Portal Learning to predict chemical-protein interactions on a genome-wide scale. Systematic studies demonstrate that Portal Learning can effectively assign ligands to unexplored gene families (unknown functions), versus existing state-of-the-art methods. Compared with AlphaFold2-based protein-ligand docking, Portal Learning significantly improved the performance by 79% in PR-AUC and 27% in ROC-AUC, respectively. The superior performance of Portal Learning allowed us to target previously "undruggable" proteins and design novel polypharmacological agents for disrupting interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and human proteins. Portal Learning is general-purpose and can be further applied to other areas of scientific inquiry.

Discovery of TGFBR1 (ALK5) as a potential drug target of quercetin glycoside derivatives (QGDs) by reverse molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation

Quercetin glycoside derivatives (QGDs) are a class of common compounds with a wide range of biological activities, such as antitumor activities. However, their molecular targets associated with biological activities have not been investigated. In this study, four common QGDs with mutual bioconversion were selected, and studied in the large-scale reverse docking experiments. Network pharmacology analysis showed that most of the four QGDs can bind several potential protein targets that were closely related to breast cancer disease. Among them, a druggable protein, transforming growth factor beta receptor I (TGFBR1/ALK5) was screened via high docking scores for the four QGDs. This protein has been proven to be an important target for the treatment of breast cancer by regulating the proliferation and migration of cancer cells in the past. Subsequently, the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and MM/GBSA calculation demonstrated that all QGDs could thermodynamically bind with TGFBR1, indicating that TGFBR1 might be one of the potential protein targets of QGDs. Finally, the cytotoxicity test and wound-healing migration assay displayed that isoquercetin, which can perform best in MD experiment, might be a promising agent in the treatment of breast cancer metastasis.

Cancer Chemopreventive Role of Dietary Terpenoids by Modulating Keap1-Nrf2-ARE Signaling System—A Comprehensive Update

ROS, RNS, and carcinogenic metabolites generate excessive oxidative stress, which changes the basal cellular status and leads to epigenetic modification, genomic instability, and initiation of cancer. Epigenetic modification may inhibit tumor-suppressor genes and activate oncogenes, enabling cells to have cancer promoting properties. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that in humans is encoded by the NFE2L2 gene, and is activated in response to cellular stress. It can regulate redox homoeostasis by expressing several cytoprotective enzymes, including NADPH quinine oxidoreductase, heme oxygenase-1, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, etc. There is accumulating evidence supporting the idea that dietary nutraceuticals derived from commonly used fruits, vegetables, and spices have the ability to produce cancer chemopreventive activity by inducing Nrf2-mediated detoxifying enzymes. In this review, we discuss the importance of these nutraceuticals in cancer chemoprevention and summarize the role of dietary terpenoids in this respect. This approach was taken to accumulate the mechanistic function of these terpenoids to develop a comprehensive understanding of their direct and indirect roles in modulating the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling system.

A target fishing study to spot possible biological targets of fusaric acid: Inhibition of protein kinase-A and insights on the underpinning mechanisms

Fusaric acid is a secondary metabolite produced by various Fusarium fungi, present with relatively high incidence in Fusarium-contaminated foods. It was already described as phytotoxic and cytotoxic. However, the understanding of its molecular mechanisms is still fragmentary and further data are needed to ensure an informed assessment of the risk related to its presence in food. This work applied an integrated in silico/in vitro approach to reveal novel potential biological activities of fusaric acid and to investigate the underpinning mechanisms. An in silico reverse screening was used to identify novel biological targets for fusaric acid. Computational results indicated as target protein kinase-A, which was confirmed with biochemical cell-free assays providing evidence of its actual inhibitory potential. Cell-based experiments on intestinal cells (HCEC-1CT cells) identified the mitochondrial network and cell membranes as potentially affected organelles, possibly resulting from PKA inhibition. The integration of 3D molecular modeling supported the plausibility of fusaric acid-dependent inhibition. From the hazard identification perspective, considering the Low Observed Adverse Effect Level described here (0.1 mM) and the possible level of contamination in food, fusaric acid might raise concern from a food safety standpoint and the gastrointestinal tract was described as a meaningful system to investigate with priority.

An Intracellular Sensing and Signal Transduction System That Regulates the Metabolism of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Bacteria

Many bacteria utilize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) as carbon and energy sources for growth. These bacteria play an important role in the amelioration of PAH pollution in various environments. However, it is unclear how bacteria sense PAHs and how PAH degradation pathways are regulated via signal transduction. Here, we investigated these mechanisms in Cycloclasticus, a ubiquitous PAH-degrading bacterium in marine environments. We identified the key genes involved in intracellular PAH sensing, signal transduction, and the differential regulation of degradation pathways for each PAH examined. Our results showed that PAHs bind specifically to a diguanylate cyclase PdgC, leading to the generation of cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP), which subsequently binds to two CRP/FNR family regulators, DPR-1 and DPR-2. c-di-GMP activates the transcription of DPR-1 and DPR-2 to positively regulate degradation pathways specific to pyrene and phenanthrene/naphthalene, respectively. This is the first report of an intracellular signal transduction pathway associated with PAH degradation in bacteria. Our results improve our understanding of the intracellular responses to PAHs. The existence of the identified genes in other bacteria indicates that the strategy described here is widely used by other PAH-degrading bacteria. IMPORTANCE Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely distributed and have been found indoors, in the atmosphere, in terrestrial soils, in marine waters and sediments, and even in outer space. Bacteria degrade PAHs via degradation pathways. PAH signal sensing and transduction, as well as the regulation of PAH degradation pathways, are crucial for bacterial PAH biodegradation. However, prior to this study, these processes were poorly known. This study employed multiple molecular approaches to better understand the regulatory networks controlling PAH metabolism in bacteria. This report illustrates, for the first time, PAH-specific intracellular sensing, signal transduction, and metabolic regulatory pathways. Our results will help to increase our understanding of the hydrocarbon-metabolism regulatory network as well as the regulatory intricacies that control microbial biodegradation of organic matter. These key data should be considered to improve the rational design and efficiency of recombinant biodegradable, bacterial biosensors, and biocatalysts in modern green chemistry.

Identification of Potential Inhibitors of MurD Enzyme of Staphylococcus aureus from a Marine Natural Product Library

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause fatal bacterial infections. MurD catalyzes the formation of peptide bond between UDP-N-acetylehyl-l-alanine and d-glutamic acid, which plays an important role in the synthesis of peptidoglycan and the formation of cell wall by S. aureus. Because S. aureus is resistant to most existing antibiotics, it is necessary to develop new inhibitors. In this study, Schrodinger 11.5 Prime homology modeling was selected to prepare the protein model of MurD enzyme, and its structure was optimized. We used a virtual screening program and similarity screening to screen 47163 compounds from three marine natural product libraries to explore new inhibitors of S. aureus. ADME provides analysis of the physicochemical properties of the best performing compounds during the screening process. To determine the stability of the docking effect, a 100 ns molecular dynamics was performed to verify how tightly the compound was bound to the protein. By docking analysis and molecular dynamics analysis, both 46604 and 46608 have strong interaction with the docking pocket, have good pharmacological properties, and maintain stable conformation with the target protein, so they have a chance to become drugs for S. aureus. Through virtual screening, similarity screening, ADME study and molecular dynamics simulation, 46604 and 46608 were selected as potential drug candidates for S. aureus.

Fluoxetine hydrochloride loaded lipid polymer hybrid nanoparticles showed possible efficiency against SARS-CoV-2 infection

Up to date, there were no approved drugs against coronavirus (COVID-19) disease that dangerously affects global health and the economy. Repurposing the existing drugs would be a promising approach for COVID-19 management. The antidepressant drugs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) class, have antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anticoagulant effects, which makes them auspicious drugs for COVID 19 treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to predict the possible therapeutic activity of SSRIs against COVID-19. Firstly, molecular docking studies were performed to hypothesize the possible interaction of SSRIs to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) main protease. Secondly, the candidate drug was loaded in lipid polymer hybrid (LPH) nanoparticles to enhance its activity. The studied SSRIs were Fluoxetine hydrochloride (FH), Atomoxteine, Paroxetine, Nisoxteine, Repoxteine RR, and Repoxteine SS. Interestingly, FH could effectively bind with SARS-COV-2 main protease via hydrogen bond formation with low binding energy (-6.7 kcal/mol). Moreover, the optimization of FH-LPH formulation achieved 65.1 ± 2.7% encapsulation efficiency, 10.3 ± 0.4% loading efficiency, 98.5 ± 3.5 nm particle size, and -10.5 ± 0.45 mV zeta potential. Additionally, it improved cellular internalization in a time-dependent manner with good biocompatibility on Human lung fibroblast (CCD-19Lu) cells. Therefore, the study suggested the potential activity of FH-LPH nanoparticles against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Synthesis and evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of novel 8-quinolinesulfonamide derivatives as TLR4/MD-2 inhibitors with efficacy in adjuvant-induced arthritis

In this study, a series of 8-quinolinesulfonamidederivatives was synthesized, and their anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated. Among them, compound 3l was found to be the best anti-inflammatory agent, with IC50 values of 2.61 ± 0.39, 9.74 ± 0.85, and 12.71 ± 1.34 μM against NO, TNF-α and IL-1β production respectively. And 3l could significantly prevent lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of inflammatory mediators (iNOS and COX-2). Molecule docking results showed that 3l could bind to the LPS binding site of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD-2, and 3l was then identified as TLR4/MD-2 inhibitor by co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) and cellular thermal shift assay (CTESA). Preliminary mechanism studies indicated that 3l could prevent TLR4 from being activated by disrupting TLR4/MD-2 heterodimerization and TLR4 homodimerization, thereby blocking the activation of the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, observation of rat foot swelling, joint pathology and serum inflammatory cytokine levels proved that compound 3l had a significant therapeutic effect on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats in vivo. These results indicated that compound 3l is a potential anti-inflammatory agent, from which more effective anti-inflammatory drugs could be developed.

A comprehensive comparative assessment of 3D molecular similarity tools in ligand-based virtual screening

Three-dimensional (3D) molecular similarity, one major ligand-based virtual screening (VS) method, has been widely used in the drug discovery process. A variety of 3D molecular similarity tools have been developed in recent decades. In this study, we assessed a panel of 15 3D molecular similarity programs against the DUD-E and LIT-PCBA datasets, including commercial ROCS and Phase, in terms of screening power and scaffold-hopping power. The results revealed that (1) SHAFTS, LS-align, Phase Shape_Pharm and LIGSIFT showed the best VS capability in terms of screening power. Some 3D similarity tools available to academia can yield relatively better VS performance than commercial ROCS and Phase software. (2) Current 3D similarity VS tools exhibit a considerable ability to capture actives with new chemotypes in terms of scaffold hopping. (3) Multiple conformers relative to single conformations will generally improve VS performance for most 3D similarity tools, with marginal improvement observed in area under the receiving operator characteristic curve values, enrichment factor in the top 1% and hit rate in the top 1% values showed larger improvement. Moreover, redundancy and complementarity analyses of hit lists from different query seeds and different 3D similarity VS tools showed that the combination of different query seeds and/or different 3D similarity tools in VS campaigns retrieved more (and more diverse) active molecules. These findings provide useful information for guiding choices of the optimal 3D molecular similarity tools for VS practices and designing possible combination strategies to discover more diverse active compounds.

Molecular docking analysis of potential compounds from an Indian medicinal soup "kabasura kudineer" extract with IL-6

The use of "kabasura kudineer" (liquid soup made from Indian medicinal plants) for combating COVID-19 has been common in the states of Tamilnadu and Puducherry, India during the pandemic. Therefore, it is of interest to document the molecular docking analysis of IL-6 inhibitors with potential antiviral compounds from "kabasura kudineer" extract. We show the optimal binding features of gallic acid and luteolin with the Interleukin-6 protein for further consideration.

Unraveling the Catha edulis Extract Effects on the Cellular and Molecular Signaling in SKOV3 Cells

Khat (Catha edulis (Vahl) Endl.) is an evergreen flowering shrub used as a stimulant in many regions worldwide including East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Europe, and the United States. Chewing leaves of khat induces excitement and euphoria, which are primarily attributed to two major constituents, cathinone and cathine. Khat also contains other important constituents such as cathedulins. A considerable number of studies reported side effects induced by the khat extracts to both embryos and adults. These include teratogenicity and developmental retardation, oral cancer and ulcers, high blood pressure, and myocardial infarction. So far, little attention has been paid to the effects of khat extracts on the molecular signaling interactions. We aimed in this study to investigate this through evaluating the effects of khat extracts on SKOV3, a human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line. We show, by in vitro assays, that khat induces several cellular defects including reduced cell size, cell membrane damage, and apoptosis. At high khat extract concentrations, the cell metabolic activity, cell cycle, and cellular proliferation were affected. RT-qPCR analysis showed an increase in the gene expression of the apoptotic marker BAX, the tumor suppressor p53, and the inflammatory cytokine IL-6. Protein expression analysis by immunostaining showed downregulation of β-catenin, E-cadherin, and Ki-67 and upregulation of FZD8 and SPRY2, suggesting that Wnt and FGF signaling were implicated. SwissTargetPrediction in silico analysis showed that khat constituents cathine, cathinone, catheduline K2, and catheduline E5 bind to family A G-protein-coupled receptor, cause many neurological diseases and disorders such as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety, and induce many ovarian cancer-related diseases. The analysis also showed that important signaling pathways such as CREB, Wnt, FGF, IL-6, and ERK/MAPK, and that of the endometrial cancer, and cell cycle were implicated. Upstream regulators of cathine and cathinone were found to potentially target several molecules including interleukin-8, MMP2, PLAU, and micro-RNAs. In conclusion, khat induces significant cellular and molecular changes that could potentially cause a wide range of serious diseases and syndromes. Such an impact could have a heavy burden on the health care system in the countries where khat is consumed.

MAPK signaling pathway-targeted marine compounds in cancer therapy

PURPOSE

This paper reviews marine compounds that target the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and their main sources, chemical structures, major targeted cancers and possible mechanisms to provide comprehensive and basic information for the development of marine compound-based antitumor drugs in clinical cancer therapy research.

METHODS

This paper searched the PubMed database using the keywords "cancer", "marine*" and "MAPK signaling pathway"; this search was supplemented by the literature-tracing method. The marine compounds screened for review in this paper are pure compounds with a chemical structure and have antitumor effects on more than one tumor cell line by targeting the MAPK signaling pathway. The PubChem database was used to search for the PubMed CID and draw the chemical structures of the marine compounds.

RESULTS

A total of 128 studies were searched, and 32 marine compounds with unique structures from extensive sources were collected for this review. These compounds are cytotoxic to cancer cell lines, although their targets are still unclear. This paper describes their anticancer effect mechanisms and the protein expression changes in the MAPK pathway induced by these marine compound treatments. This review is the first to highlight MAPK signaling pathway-targeted marine compounds and their use in cancer therapy.

CONCLUSION

The MAPK signaling pathway is a promising potential target for cancer therapy. Searching for marine compounds that exert anticancer effects by targeting the MAPK signaling pathway and developing them into new marine anticancer drugs will be beneficial for cancer treatment.