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Llop-Peiró A, Macip G, Garcia-Vallvé S, Pujadas G. Are protein-ligand docking programs good enough to predict experimental poses of noncovalent ligands bound to the SARS-CoV-2 main protease? Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:104137. [PMID: 39151594 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.104137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 08/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
Hundreds of virtual screening (VS) studies have targeted the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease (M-pro) to identify small molecules that inhibit its proteolytic action. Most studies use AutoDock Vina or Glide methodologies [high-throughput VS (HTVS), standard precision (SP), or extra precision (XP)], independently or in a VS workflow. Moreover, the Protein Data Bank (PDB) includes multiple complexes between M-pro and various noncovalent ligands, providing an excellent benchmark for assessing the predictive capabilities of docking programs. Here, we analyze the ability of the three Glide methodologies and AutoDock Vina by using various target structures/preparations to predict the experimental poses of these complexes. Our aims are to optimize target setup and docking methodologies, minimize false positives, and maximize the identification of various chemotypes in a SARS-CoV-2 M-pro noncovalent inhibitor VS campaign.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadna Llop-Peiró
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Research group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Guillem Macip
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Research group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain; CELLEX Research Laboratories, CibeRes (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias. 06/06/0028), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Pulmonology Department, Hospital Clínic, 08036 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Santiago Garcia-Vallvé
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Research group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Gerard Pujadas
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Research group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.
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Badawy AM, Donia MSM, Hamdy NG, El-Ayouty MM, Mohamed OG, Darwish KM, Tripathi A, Ahmed SA. Dual SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV inhibitors from Artemisia monosperma: isolation, structure elucidation, molecular modelling studies, and in vitro activities. Org Biomol Chem 2024; 22:7006-7016. [PMID: 39135436 DOI: 10.1039/d4ob00929k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has spread throughout the whole globe, so it is imperative that all available resources be used to treat this scourge. In reality, the development of new pharmaceuticals has mostly benefited from natural products. The widespread medicinal usage of species in the Asteraceae family is extensively researched. In this study, compounds isolated from methanolic extract of Artemisia monosperma Delile, a wild plant whose grows in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Three compounds, stigmasterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside 1, rhamnetin 3, and padmatin 6, were first isolated from this species. In addition, five previously reported compounds, arcapillin 2, jaceosidin 4, hispidulin 5, 7-O-methyleriodictyol 7, and eupatilin 8, were isolated. Applying molecular modelling simulations revealed two compounds, arcapillin 2 and rhamnetin 3 with the best docking interactions and energies within SARS-CoV-2 Mpro-binding site (-6.16, and -6.70 kcal mol-1, respectively). The top-docked compounds (2-3) were further evaluated for inhibitory concentrations (IC50), and half-maximal cytotoxicity (CC50) of both SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. Interestingly, arcapillin showed high antiviral activity towards SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV, with IC50 values of 190.8 μg mL-1 and 16.58 μg mL-1, respectively. These findings may hold promise for further preclinical and clinical research, particularly on arcapillin itself or in collaboration with other drugs for COVID-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M Badawy
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sinai University, El-Arish 45511, Egypt.
| | - Marwa Samir M Donia
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt.
| | - Nehal G Hamdy
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sinai University, El-Arish 45511, Egypt.
| | - Mayada M El-Ayouty
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sinai University, El-Arish 45511, Egypt.
| | - Osama G Mohamed
- Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr el Aini St., Cairo 11562, Egypt.
- Natural Products Discovery Core, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Khaled M Darwish
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt.
| | - Ashootosh Tripathi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
- Natural Products Discovery Core, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Safwat A Ahmed
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt.
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Yuda GPWC, Hanif N, Hermawan A. Computational Screening Using a Combination of Ligand-Based Machine Learning and Molecular Docking Methods for the Repurposing of Antivirals Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. Daru 2024; 32:47-65. [PMID: 37907683 PMCID: PMC11087449 DOI: 10.1007/s40199-023-00484-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a close relative of SARS-CoV. Several studies have searched for COVID-19 therapies. The topics of these works ranged from vaccine discovery to natural products targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), a potential therapeutic target due to its essential role in replication and conserved sequences. However, published research on this target is limited, presenting an opportunity for drug discovery and development. METHOD This study aims to repurpose 10692 drugs in DrugBank by using ligand-based virtual screening (LBVS) machine learning (ML) with Konstanz Information Miner (KNIME) to seek potential therapeutics based on Mpro inhibitors. The top candidate compounds, the native ligand (GC-376) of the Mpro inhibitor, and the positive control boceprevir were then subjected to absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) characterization, drug-likeness prediction, and molecular docking (MD). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was added to provide accurate information about the Mpro regulatory network. RESULTS This study identified 3,166 compound candidates inhibiting Mpro. The random forest (RF) molecular access system ML model provided the highest confidence score of 0.95 (bromo-7-nitroindazole) and identified the top 22 candidate compounds. Subjecting the 22 candidate compounds, the native ligand GC-376, and boceprevir to further ADMET property characterization and drug-likeness predictions revealed that one compound had two violations of Lipinski's rule. Additional MD results showed that only five compounds had more negative binding energies than the native ligand (- 12.25 kcal/mol). Among these compounds, CCX-140 exhibited the lowest score of - 13.64 kcal/mol. Through literature analysis, six compound classes with potential activity for Mpro were discovered. They included benzopyrazole, azole, pyrazolopyrimidine, carboxylic acids and derivatives, benzene and substituted derivatives, and diazine. Four pathologies were also discovered on the basis of the Mpro PPI network. CONCLUSION Results demonstrated the efficiency of LBVS combined with MD. This combined strategy provided positive evidence showing that the top screened drugs, including CCX-140, which had the lowest MD score, can be reasonably advanced to the in vitro phase. This combined method may accelerate the discovery of therapies for novel or orphan diseases from existing drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gusti Putu Wahyunanda Crista Yuda
- Laboratory of Macromolecular Engineering, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada Sekip Utara II, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Naufa Hanif
- Master Student of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, Ankara, 06100, Turkey
| | - Adam Hermawan
- Laboratory of Macromolecular Engineering, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada Sekip Utara II, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
- Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Sciences. APSLC Building, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada Sekip Utara II, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
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Papini C, Ullah I, Ranjan AP, Zhang S, Wu Q, Spasov KA, Zhang C, Mothes W, Crawford JM, Lindenbach BD, Uchil PD, Kumar P, Jorgensen WL, Anderson KS. Proof-of-concept studies with a computationally designed M pro inhibitor as a synergistic combination regimen alternative to Paxlovid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2320713121. [PMID: 38621119 PMCID: PMC11046628 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2320713121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
As the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to spread and mutate, it remains important to focus not only on preventing spread through vaccination but also on treating infection with direct-acting antivirals (DAA). The approval of Paxlovid, a SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) DAA, has been significant for treatment of patients. A limitation of this DAA, however, is that the antiviral component, nirmatrelvir, is rapidly metabolized and requires inclusion of a CYP450 3A4 metabolic inhibitor, ritonavir, to boost levels of the active drug. Serious drug-drug interactions can occur with Paxlovid for patients who are also taking other medications metabolized by CYP4503A4, particularly transplant or otherwise immunocompromised patients who are most at risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe symptoms. Developing an alternative antiviral with improved pharmacological properties is critical for treatment of these patients. By using a computational and structure-guided approach, we were able to optimize a 100 to 250 μM screening hit to a potent nanomolar inhibitor and lead compound, Mpro61. In this study, we further evaluate Mpro61 as a lead compound, starting with examination of its mode of binding to SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. In vitro pharmacological profiling established a lack of off-target effects, particularly CYP450 3A4 inhibition, as well as potential for synergy with the currently approved alternate antiviral, molnupiravir. Development and subsequent testing of a capsule formulation for oral dosing of Mpro61 in B6-K18-hACE2 mice demonstrated favorable pharmacological properties, efficacy, and synergy with molnupiravir, and complete recovery from subsequent challenge by SARS-CoV-2, establishing Mpro61 as a promising potential preclinical candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Papini
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520-8066
| | - Irfan Ullah
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520-8066
| | - Amalendu P. Ranjan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX76107
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520-8066
| | - Qihao Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT06520-8107
| | - Krasimir A. Spasov
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520-8066
| | - Chunhui Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT06520-8107
| | - Walther Mothes
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520-8066
| | | | - Brett D. Lindenbach
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520-8066
| | - Pradeep D. Uchil
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520-8066
| | - Priti Kumar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520-8066
| | | | - Karen S. Anderson
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520-8066
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520-8066
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de Santiago-Silva KM, Camargo PG, Carvalho Constant LE, Costa SDS, Frensel GB, Allonso D, Nakazato G, Lima CHDS, Bispo MDLF. Molecular modelling studies and in vitro enzymatic assays identified A 4-(nitrobenzyl)guanidine derivative as inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8620. [PMID: 38616188 PMCID: PMC11016540 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59292-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Scientists and researchers have been searching for drugs targeting the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2, which is crucial for virus replication. This study employed a virtual screening based on molecular docking to identify benzoylguanidines from an in-house chemical library that can inhibit Mpro on the active site and three allosteric sites. Molecular docking was performed on the LaSMMed Chemical Library using 88 benzoylguanidine compounds. Based on their RMSD values and conserved pose, three potential inhibitors (BZG1, BZG2, and BZG3) were selected. These results indicate that BZG1 and BZG3 may bind to the active site, while BZG2 may bind to allosteric sites. Molecular dynamics data suggest that BZG2 selectively targets allosteric site 3. In vitro tests were performed to measure the proteolytic activity of rMpro. The tests showed that BZG2 has uncompetitive inhibitory activity, with an IC50 value of 77 µM. These findings suggest that benzoylguanidines possess potential as Mpro inhibitors and pave the way towards combating SARS-Cov-2 effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaio Maciel de Santiago-Silva
- Laboratório de Síntese de Moléculas Medicinais (LaSMMed), Departamento de Química, Centro de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Priscila Goes Camargo
- Laboratório de Síntese de Moléculas Medicinais (LaSMMed), Departamento de Química, Centro de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Larissa Esteves Carvalho Constant
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Stephany da Silva Costa
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Barbosa Frensel
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Diego Allonso
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Gerson Nakazato
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Camilo Henrique da Silva Lima
- Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcelle de Lima Ferreira Bispo
- Laboratório de Síntese de Moléculas Medicinais (LaSMMed), Departamento de Química, Centro de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil.
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Bolz SN, Schroeder M. Promiscuity in drug discovery on the verge of the structural revolution: recent advances and future chances. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:973-985. [PMID: 37489516 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2239700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Promiscuity denotes the ability of ligands and targets to specifically interact with multiple binding partners. Despite negative aspects like side effects, promiscuity is receiving increasing attention in drug discovery as it can enhance drug efficacy and provides a molecular basis for drug repositioning. The three-dimensional structure of ligand-target complexes delivers exclusive insights into the molecular mechanisms of promiscuity and structure-based methods enable the identification of promiscuous interactions. With the recent breakthrough in protein structure prediction, novel possibilities open up to reveal unknown connections in ligand-target interaction networks. AREAS COVERED This review highlights the significance of structure in the identification and characterization of promiscuity and evaluates the potential of protein structure prediction to advance our knowledge of drug-target interaction networks. It discusses the definition and relevance of promiscuity in drug discovery and explores different approaches to detecting promiscuous ligands and targets. EXPERT OPINION Examination of structural data is essential for understanding and quantifying promiscuity. The recent advancements in structure prediction have resulted in an abundance of targets that are well-suited for structure-based methods like docking. In silico approaches may eventually completely transform our understanding of drug-target networks by complementing the millions of predicted protein structures with billions of predicted drug-target interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Naomi Bolz
- Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), CMCB, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Schroeder
- Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), CMCB, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Sangande F, Agustini K, Budipramana K. Antihyperlipidemic mechanisms of a formula containing Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Sechium edule, and Syzigium polyanthum: In silico and in vitro studies. Comput Biol Chem 2023; 105:107907. [PMID: 37392529 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2023.107907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Herbal medicines are multi-component and can exhibit synergistic effects in the treatment of diseases. Sechium edule, Syzigium polyanthum, and Curcuma xanthorrhiza have been used in traditional medicine to reduce serum lipid levels. However, the molecular mechanism was not described clearly, especially as a mixture. Thus, we performed a network pharmacology study combined with molecular docking to find a rational explanation regarding the molecular mechanisms of this antihyperlipidemic formula. According to the network pharmacology study, we predicted that this extract mixture would act as an antihyperlipidemic agent by modulating several pathways including insulin resistance, endocrine resistance, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. Based on the topology parameters, we identified 6 significant targets that play an important role in reducing lipid serum levels: HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA), RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF). Meanwhile, 8 compounds: β-sitosterol, bisdesmethoxycurcumin, cucurbitacin D, cucurbitacin E, myricetin, phloretin, quercitrin, and rutin were the compounds with a high degree, indicating that these compounds have a multitarget effect. Our consensus docking study revealed that HMGCR was the only protein targeted by all potential compounds, and rutin was the compound with the best consensus docking score for almost all targets. The in vitro study revealed that the extract combination could inhibit HMGCR with an IC50 value of 74.26 µg/mL, indicating that HMGCR inhibition is one of its antihyperlipidemic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frangky Sangande
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Traditional Medicine, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong Science Center, Bogor 16915, Indonesia.
| | - Kurnia Agustini
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Traditional Medicine, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong Science Center, Bogor 16915, Indonesia
| | - Krisyanti Budipramana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Surabaya, Surabaya 60293, Indonesia
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Soulère L, Barbier T, Queneau Y. In Silico Identification of Potential Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease among a PubChem Database of Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus 3CLPro Inhibitors. Biomolecules 2023; 13:956. [PMID: 37371536 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Remarkable structural homologies between the main proteases of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were revealed by comparative amino-acid sequence and 3D structural alignment. Assessing whether reported IBV 3CLPro inhibitors could also interact with SARS-CoV-2 has been undertaken in silico using a PubChem BioAssay database of 388 compounds active on the avian infectious bronchitis virus 3C-like protease. Docking studies of this database on the SARS-CoV-2 protease resulted in the identification of four covalent inhibitors targeting the catalytic cysteine residue and five non-covalent inhibitors for which the binding was further investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Predictive ADMET calculations on the nine compounds suggest promising pharmacokinetic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Soulère
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, CPE-Lyon, ICBMS, UMR 5246, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, Bâtiment Lederer, 1 Rue Victor Grignard, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Thibaut Barbier
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, CPE-Lyon, ICBMS, UMR 5246, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, Bâtiment Lederer, 1 Rue Victor Grignard, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Yves Queneau
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, CPE-Lyon, ICBMS, UMR 5246, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, Bâtiment Lederer, 1 Rue Victor Grignard, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
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Gupta Y, Savytskyi OV, Coban M, Venugopal A, Pleqi V, Weber CA, Chitale R, Durvasula R, Hopkins C, Kempaiah P, Caulfield TR. Protein structure-based in-silico approaches to drug discovery: Guide to COVID-19 therapeutics. Mol Aspects Med 2023; 91:101151. [PMID: 36371228 PMCID: PMC9613808 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2022.101151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
With more than 5 million fatalities and close to 300 million reported cases, COVID-19 is the first documented pandemic due to a coronavirus that continues to be a major health challenge. Despite being rapid, uncontrollable, and highly infectious in its spread, it also created incentives for technology development and redefined public health needs and research agendas to fast-track innovations to be translated. Breakthroughs in computational biology peaked during the pandemic with renewed attention to making all cutting-edge technology deliver agents to combat the disease. The demand to develop effective treatments yielded surprising collaborations from previously segregated fields of science and technology. The long-standing pharmaceutical industry's aversion to repurposing existing drugs due to a lack of exponential financial gain was overrun by the health crisis and pressures created by front-line researchers and providers. Effective vaccine development even at an unprecedented pace took more than a year to develop and commence trials. Now the emergence of variants and waning protections during the booster shots is resulting in breakthrough infections that continue to strain health care systems. As of now, every protein of SARS-CoV-2 has been structurally characterized and related host pathways have been extensively mapped out. The research community has addressed the druggability of a multitude of possible targets. This has been made possible due to existing technology for virtual computer-assisted drug development as well as new tools and technologies such as artificial intelligence to deliver new leads. Here in this article, we are discussing advances in the drug discovery field related to target-based drug discovery and exploring the implications of known target-specific agents on COVID-19 therapeutic management. The current scenario calls for more personalized medicine efforts and stratifying patient populations early on for their need for different combinations of prognosis-specific therapeutics. We intend to highlight target hotspots and their potential agents, with the ultimate goal of using rational design of new therapeutics to not only end this pandemic but also uncover a generalizable platform for use in future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yash Gupta
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Oleksandr V Savytskyi
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; In Vivo Biosystems, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Matt Coban
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | - Vasili Pleqi
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Caleb A Weber
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Rohit Chitale
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; The Council on Strategic Risks, 1025 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ravi Durvasula
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | - Prakasha Kempaiah
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas R Caulfield
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Department of QHS Computational Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
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10
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Rescifina A. Progress of the "Molecular Informatics" Section in 2022. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119442. [PMID: 37298393 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
This is the first Editorial of the "Molecular Informatics" Section (MIS) of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS), which was created towards the end of 2018 (the first article was submitted on 27 September 2018) and has experienced significant growth from 2018 to now [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Rescifina
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
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11
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Fadlallah S, Julià C, García-Vallvé S, Pujadas G, Serratosa F. Drug Potency Prediction of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors Based on a Graph Generative Model. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:8779. [PMID: 37240128 PMCID: PMC10218534 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The prediction of a ligand potency to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M-pro) would be a highly helpful addition to a virtual screening process. The most potent compounds might then be the focus of further efforts to experimentally validate their potency and improve them. A computational method to predict drug potency, which is based on three main steps, is defined: (1) defining the drug and protein in only one 3D structure; (2) applying graph autoencoder techniques with the aim of generating a latent vector; and (3) using a classical fitting model to the latent vector to predict the potency of the drug. Experiments in a database of 160 drug-M-pro pairs, from which the pIC50 is known, show the ability of our method to predict their drug potency with high accuracy. Moreover, the time spent to compute the pIC50 of the whole database is only some seconds, using a current personal computer. Thus, it can be concluded that a computational tool that predicts, with high reliability, the pIC50 in a cheap and fast way is achieved. This tool, which can be used to prioritize which virtual screening hits, will be further examined in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Fadlallah
- Research Group ASCLEPIUS: Smart Technology for Smart Healthcare, Departament d’Enginyeria Informàtica i Matemàtiques, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain; (S.F.); (C.J.)
| | - Carme Julià
- Research Group ASCLEPIUS: Smart Technology for Smart Healthcare, Departament d’Enginyeria Informàtica i Matemàtiques, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain; (S.F.); (C.J.)
| | - Santiago García-Vallvé
- Research Group in Cheminformatics and Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain; (S.G.-V.); (G.P.)
| | - Gerard Pujadas
- Research Group in Cheminformatics and Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain; (S.G.-V.); (G.P.)
| | - Francesc Serratosa
- Research Group ASCLEPIUS: Smart Technology for Smart Healthcare, Departament d’Enginyeria Informàtica i Matemàtiques, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain; (S.F.); (C.J.)
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Patel U, Desai K, Dabhi RC, Maru JJ, Shrivastav PS. Bioprospecting phytochemicals of Rosmarinus officinalis L. for targeting SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M pro): a computational study. J Mol Model 2023; 29:161. [PMID: 37115321 PMCID: PMC10141822 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05569-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT The persistent spread of highly contagious COVID-19 disease is one of the deadliest occurrences in the history of mankind. Despite the distribution of numerous efficacious vaccines and their extensive usage, the perpetual effectiveness of immunization is being catechized. Therefore, discovering an alternative therapy to control and prevent COVID-19 infections has become a top priority. The main protease (Mpro) plays a key role in viral replication, making it an intriguing pharmacological target for SARS-CoV-2. METHODS In this context, virtual screening of thirteen bioactive polyphenols and terpenoids of Rosmarinus officinalis L. was performed using several computational modules including molecular docking, ADMET, drug-likeness characteristics, and molecular dynamic simulation to predict the potential inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro (PDB: 6LU7). The results suggest that apigenin, betulinic acid, luteolin, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid may emerge as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 with acceptable drug-likeness, pharmacokinetics, ADMET characteristics, and binding interactions comparable with remdesivir and favipiravir. These findings imply that some of the active components of Rosmarinus officinalis L. can serve as an effective antiviral source for the development of therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Unnati Patel
- Department of Chemistry, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 380009, India
| | - Krishna Desai
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts Management, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 380009, India
| | - Ranjitsinh C Dabhi
- Department of Chemistry, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 380009, India
| | - Jayesh J Maru
- Department of Chemistry, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 380009, India
| | - Pranav S Shrivastav
- Department of Chemistry, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 380009, India.
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Broni E, Striegel A, Ashley C, Sakyi PO, Peracha S, Velazquez M, Bebla K, Sodhi M, Kwofie SK, Ademokunwa A, Khan S, Miller WA. Molecular Docking and Dynamics Simulation Studies Predict Potential Anti-ADAR2 Inhibitors: Implications for the Treatment of Cancer, Neurological, Immunological and Infectious Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:6795. [PMID: 37047766 PMCID: PMC10095294 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered RNA editing has been linked to several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability, in addition to depression, schizophrenia, some cancers, viral infections and autoimmune disorders. The human ADAR2 is a potential therapeutic target for managing these various disorders due to its crucial role in adenosine to inosine editing. This study applied consensus scoring to rank potential ADAR2 inhibitors after performing molecular docking with AutoDock Vina and Glide (Maestro), using a library of 35,161 compounds obtained from traditional Chinese medicine. A total of 47 compounds were predicted to be good binders of the human ADAR2 and had insignificant toxicity concerns. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, including the molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA) procedure, also emphasized the binding of the shortlisted compounds. The potential compounds had plausible binding free energies ranging from -81.304 to -1068.26 kJ/mol from the MM/PBSA calculations. ZINC000085511995, a naphthoquinone had more negative binding free energy (-1068.26 kJ/mol) than inositol hexakisphosphate (IHP) [-873.873 kJ/mol], an agonist and a strong binder of ADAR2. The potential displacement of IHP by ZINC000085511995 in the IHP binding site of ADAR2 could be explored for possible deactivation of ADAR2. Bayesian-based biological activity prediction corroborates the neuropharmacological, antineoplastic and antiviral activity of the potential lead compounds. All the potential lead compounds, except ZINC000014612330 and ZINC000013462928, were predicted to be inhibitors of various deaminases. The potential lead compounds also had probability of activity (Pa) > 0.442 and probability of inactivity (Pi) < 0.116 values for treating acute neurologic disorders, except for ZINC000085996580 and ZINC000013462928. Pursuing these compounds for their anti-ADAR2 activities holds a promising future, especially against neurological disorders, some cancers and viral infections caused by RNA viruses. Molecular interaction, hydrogen bond and per-residue decomposition analyses predicted Arg400, Arg401, Lys519, Trp687, Glu689, and Lys690 as hot-spot residues in the ADAR2 IHP binding site. Most of the top compounds were observed to have naphthoquinone, indole, furanocoumarin or benzofuran moieties. Serotonin and tryptophan, which are beneficial in digestive regulation, improving sleep cycle and mood, are indole derivatives. These chemical series may have the potential to treat neurological disorders, prion diseases, some cancers, specific viral infections, metabolic disorders and eating disorders through the disruption of ADAR2 pathways. A total of nine potential lead compounds were shortlisted as plausible modulators of ADAR2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Broni
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Andrew Striegel
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biochemistry, College of Science, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Carolyn Ashley
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Patrick O. Sakyi
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra P.O. Box LG 56, Ghana
- Department of Chemical Sciences, School of Sciences, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani P.O. Box 214, Ghana
| | - Saqib Peracha
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Miriam Velazquez
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Kristeen Bebla
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Monsheel Sodhi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Samuel K. Kwofie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra P.O. Box LG 77, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra P.O. Box LG 54, Ghana
| | - Adesanya Ademokunwa
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Sufia Khan
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Whelton A. Miller
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
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Issahaku AR, Mncube SM, Agoni C, Kwofie SK, Alahmdi MI, Abo-Dya NE, Sidhom PA, Tawfeek AM, Ibrahim MAA, Mukelabai N, Soremekun O, Soliman MES. Multi-dimensional structural footprint identification for the design of potential scaffolds targeting METTL3 in cancer treatment from natural compounds. J Mol Model 2023; 29:122. [PMID: 36995499 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05516-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT [Formula: see text]-adenosine-methyltransferase (METTL3) is the catalytic domain of the 'writer' proteins which is involved in the post modifications of [Formula: see text]-methyladinosine ([Formula: see text]). Though its activities are essential in many biological processes, it has been implicated in several types of cancer. Thus, drug developers and researchers are relentlessly in search of small molecule inhibitors that can ameliorate the oncogenic activities of METTL3. Currently, STM2457 is a potent, highly selective inhibitor of METTL3 but is yet to be approved. METHODS In this study, we employed structure-based virtual screening through consensus docking by using AutoDock Vina in PyRx interface and Glide virtual screening workflow of Schrodinger Glide. Thermodynamics via MM-PBSA calculations was further used to rank the compounds based on their total free binding energies. All atom molecular dynamics simulations were performed using AMBER 18 package. FF14SB force fields and Antechamber were used to parameterize the protein and compounds respectively. Post analysis of generated trajectories was analyzed with CPPTRAJ and PTRAJ modules incorporated in the AMBER package while Discovery studio and UCSF Chimera were used for visualization, and origin data tool used to plot all graphs. RESULTS Three compounds with total free binding energies higher than STM2457 were selected for extended molecular dynamics simulations. The compounds, SANCDB0370, SANCDB0867, and SANCDB1033, exhibited stability and deeper penetration into the hydrophobic core of the protein. They engaged in relatively stronger intermolecular interactions involving hydrogen bonds with resultant increase in stability, reduced flexibility, and decrease in the surface area of the protein available for solvent interactions suggesting an induced folding of the catalytic domain. Furthermore, in silico pharmacokinetics and physicochemical analysis of the compounds revealed good properties suggesting these compounds could serve as promising MEETL3 entry inhibitors upon modifications and optimizations as presented by natural compounds. Further biochemical testing and experimentations would aid in the discovery of effective inhibitors against the berserk activities of METTL3.
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15
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Diabate O, Cisse C, Sangare M, Soremekun O, Fatumo S, Shaffer JG, Doumbia S, Wele M. Identification of promising high-affinity inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease from African Natural Products Databases by Virtual Screening. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2673755. [PMID: 36993208 PMCID: PMC10055610 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2673755/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
With the rapid spread of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen agent of COVID-19 pandemic created a serious threat to global public health, requiring the most urgent research for potential therapeutic agents. The availability of genomic data of SARS-CoV-2 and efforts to determine the protein structure of the virus facilitated the identification of potent inhibitors by using structure-based approach and bioinformatics tools. Many pharmaceuticals have been proposed for the treatment of COVID-19, although their effectiveness has not been assessed yet. However, it is important to find out new-targeted drugs to overcome the resistance concern. Several viral proteins such as proteases, polymerases or structural proteins have been considered as potential therapeutic targets. But the virus target must be essential for host invasion match some drugability criterion. In this Work, we selected the highly validated pharmacological target main protease Mpro and we performed high throughput virtual screening of African Natural Products Databases such as NANPDB, EANPDB, AfroDb, and SANCDB to identify the most potent inhibitors with the best pharmacological properties. In total, 8753 natural compounds were virtually screened by AutoDock vina against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. Two hundred and five (205) compounds showed high-affinity scores (less than - 10.0 Kcal/mol), while fifty-eight (58) filtered through Lipinski's rules showed better affinity than known Mpro inhibitors (i.e., ABBV-744, Onalespib, Daunorubicin, Alpha-ketoamide, Perampanel, Carprefen, Celecoxib, Alprazolam, Trovafloxacin, Sarafloxacin, Ethyl biscoumacetate…). Those promising compounds could be considered for further investigations toward the developpement of SARS-CoV-2 drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oudou Diabate
- University of Sciences, Technics and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB)
| | - Cheickna Cisse
- University of Sciences, Technics and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB)
| | | | | | - Segun Fatumo
- University of Sciences, Technics and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB)
| | | | - Seydou Doumbia
- University of Sciences, Technics and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB)
| | - Mamadou Wele
- University of Sciences, Technics and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB)
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16
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Komatsu H, Tanaka T, Ye Z, Ikeda K, Matsuzaki T, Yasugi M, Hosoda M. Identification of SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors from FDA-approved drugs by artificial intelligence-supported activity prediction system. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:1767-1775. [PMID: 34984963 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.2024260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Although a certain level of efficacy and safety of several vaccine products against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been established, unmet medical needs for orally active small molecule therapeutic drugs are still very high. As a key drug target molecule, SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is focused and large number of in-silico screenings, a part of which were supported by artificial intelligence (AI), have been conducted to identify Mpro inhibitors both through drug repurposing and drug discovery approaches. In the many drug-repurposing studies, docking simulation-based technologies have been mainly employed and contributed to the identification of several Mpro binders. On the other hand, because AI-guided INTerprotein's Engine for New Drug Design (AI-guided INTENDD), an AI-supported activity prediction system for small molecules, enables to propose the potential binders by proprietary AI scores but not docking scores, it was expected to identify novel potential Mpro binders from FDA-approved drugs. As a result, we selected 20 potential Mpro binders using AI-guided INTENDD, of which 13 drugs showed Mpro-binding signal by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method. Six (6) compounds among the 13 positive drugs were identified for the first time by the present study. Furthermore, it was verified that vorapaxar bound to Mpro with a Kd value of 27 µM by SPR method and inhibited virus replication in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells with an EC50 value of 11 µM. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ken Ikeda
- Interprotein Corporation, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Mayo Yasugi
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Izumisano, Osaka, Japan.,Asian Health Science Institute, Osaka Prefecture University, Izumisano, Osaka, Japan.,Osaka International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan
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17
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Lessons Learnt from COVID-19: Computational Strategies for Facing Present and Future Pandemics. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054401. [PMID: 36901832 PMCID: PMC10003049 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Since its outbreak in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the death of more than 6.5 million people around the world. The high transmissibility of its causative agent, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, coupled with its potentially lethal outcome, provoked a profound global economic and social crisis. The urgency of finding suitable pharmacological tools to tame the pandemic shed light on the ever-increasing importance of computer simulations in rationalizing and speeding up the design of new drugs, further stressing the need for developing quick and reliable methods to identify novel active molecules and characterize their mechanism of action. In the present work, we aim at providing the reader with a general overview of the COVID-19 pandemic, discussing the hallmarks in its management, from the initial attempts at drug repurposing to the commercialization of Paxlovid, the first orally available COVID-19 drug. Furthermore, we analyze and discuss the role of computer-aided drug discovery (CADD) techniques, especially those that fall in the structure-based drug design (SBDD) category, in facing present and future pandemics, by showcasing several successful examples of drug discovery campaigns where commonly used methods such as docking and molecular dynamics have been employed in the rational design of effective therapeutic entities against COVID-19.
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Mohamed EAR, Abdel-Rahman IM, Zaki MEA, Al-Khdhairawi A, Abdelhamid MM, Alqaisi AM, Rahim LBA, Abu-Hussein B, El-Sheikh AAK, Abdelwahab SF, Hassan HA. In silico prediction of potential inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant using molecular docking and dynamics simulation-based drug repurposing. J Mol Model 2023; 29:70. [PMID: 36808314 PMCID: PMC9939377 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05457-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In November 2021, variant B.1.1.529 of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and designated Omicron. Omicron is characterized by a high number of mutations, thirty-two in total, making it more transmissible than the original virus. More than half of those mutations were found in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) that directly interacts with human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). This study aimed to discover potent drugs against Omicron, which were previously repurposed for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). All repurposed anti-COVID-19 drugs were compiled from previous studies and tested against the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron. METHODS As a preliminary step, a molecular docking study was performed to investigate the potency of seventy-one compounds from four classes of inhibitors. The molecular characteristics of the best-performing five compounds were predicted by estimating the drug-likeness and drug score. Molecular dynamics simulations (MD) over 100 ns were performed to inspect the relative stability of the best compound within the Omicron receptor-binding site. RESULTS The current findings point out the crucial roles of Q493R, G496S, Q498R, N501Y, and Y505H in the RBD region of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron. Raltegravir, hesperidin, pyronaridine, and difloxacin achieved the highest drug scores compared with the other compounds in the four classes, with values of 81%, 57%, 18%, and 71%, respectively. The calculated results showed that raltegravir and hesperidin had high binding affinities and stabilities to Omicron with ΔGbinding of - 75.7304 ± 0.98324 and - 42.693536 ± 0.979056 kJ/mol, respectively. Further clinical studies should be performed for the two best compounds from this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eslam A. R. Mohamed
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Minia University, Minia, 61511 Egypt
| | - Islam M. Abdel-Rahman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Deraya University, New-Minia, 61519 Minia Egypt
| | - Magdi E. A. Zaki
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Al-Khdhairawi
- Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Malaysia
| | - Mahmoud M. Abdelhamid
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Asyut, 71524 Egypt
| | - Ahmad M. Alqaisi
- Chemistry Department, University of Jordan, Amman, 11942 Jordan
- Present Address: School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
| | - Lyana binti Abd Rahim
- Department of Medicine, Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Najihah, Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan Malaysia
| | - Bilal Abu-Hussein
- Albayader Specialty Hospital, Amman, Jordan
- Present Address: Department of General Surgery, Cumberland Infirmary Hospital, Carlisle, England
| | - Azza A. K. El-Sheikh
- Basic Health Sciences Department, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. 13 Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671 Saudi Arabia
| | - Sayed F. Abdelwahab
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, PO Box 11099, Taif, 21944 Saudi Arabia
| | - Heba Ali Hassan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sohag University, Sohag, 82524 Egypt
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Fidan O, Mujwar S, Kciuk M. Discovery of adapalene and dihydrotachysterol as antiviral agents for the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 through computational drug repurposing. Mol Divers 2023; 27:463-475. [PMID: 35507211 PMCID: PMC9066996 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10440-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been significantly paralyzing the societies, economies and health care systems around the globe. The mutations on the genome of SARS-CoV-2 led to the emergence of new variants, some of which are classified as "variant of concern" due to their increased transmissibility and better viral fitness. The Omicron variant, as the latest variant of concern, dominated the current COVID-19 cases all around the world. Unlike the previous variants of concern, the Omicron variant has 15 mutations on the receptor-binding domain of spike protein and the changes in the key amino acid residues of S protein can enhance the binding ability of the virus to hACE2, resulting in a significant increase in the infectivity of the Omicron variant. Therefore, there is still an urgent need for treatment and prevention of variants of concern, particularly for the Omicron variant. In this study, an in silico drug repurposing was conducted through the molecular docking of 2890 FDA-approved drugs against the mutant S protein of SARS-CoV-2 for Omicron variant. We discovered promising drug candidates for the inhibition of alarming Omicron variant such as quinestrol, adapalene, tamibarotene, and dihydrotachysterol. The stability of ligands complexed with the mutant S protein was confirmed using MD simulations. The lead compounds were further evaluated for their potential use and side effects based on the current literature. Particularly, adapalene, dihydrotachysterol, levocabastine and bexarotene came into prominence due to their non-interference with the normal physiological processes. Therefore, this study suggests that these approved drugs can be considered as drug candidates for further in vitro and in vivo studies to develop new treatment options for the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozkan Fidan
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Life and Natural Sciences, Abdullah Gül University, Kayseri, 38080, Turkey.
| | - Somdutt Mujwar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, M.M. College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, 133207, India
| | - Mateusz Kciuk
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Lodz, Banacha Street 12/16, 90-237, Lodz, Poland
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Genetics, Laboratory of Cytogenetics, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237, Lodz, Poland
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20
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Benarous L, Benarous K, Muhammad G, Ali Z. Deep learning application detecting SARS-CoV-2 key enzymes inhibitors. CLUSTER COMPUTING 2023; 26:1169-1180. [PMID: 35874186 PMCID: PMC9295888 DOI: 10.1007/s10586-022-03656-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The fast spread of the COVID-19 over the world pressured scientists to find its cures. Especially, with the disastrous results, it engendered from human life losses to long-term impacts on infected people's health and the huge financial losses. In addition to the massive efforts made by researchers and medicals on finding safe, smart, fast, and efficient methods to accurately make an early diagnosis of the COVID-19. Some researchers focused on finding drugs to treat the disease and its symptoms, others worked on creating effective vaccines, while several concentrated on finding inhibitors for the key enzymes of the virus, to reduce its spreading and reproduction inside the human body. These enzymes' inhibitors are usually found in aliments, plants, fungi, or even in some drugs. Since these inhibitors slow and halt the replication of the virus in the human body, they can help fight it at an early stage saving the patient from death risk. Moreover, if the human body's immune system gets rid of the virus at the early stage it can be spared from the disastrous sequels it may leave inside the patient's body. Our research aims to find aliments and plants that are rich in these inhibitors. In this paper, we developed a deep learning application that is trained with various aliments, plants, and drugs to detect if a component contains SARS-CoV-2 key inhibitor(s) intending to help them find more sources containing these inhibitors. The application is trained to identify various sources rich in thirteen coronavirus-2 key inhibitors. The sources are currently just aliments, plants, and seeds and the identification is done by their names.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Benarous
- LIM Laboratory (Laboratoire d’informatique Et de Mathématique), Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Amar Telidji, Laghouat, Algeria
- LISSI-Tinc-NET Laboratory, University of Paris-Est Creteil, 94400 Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Khedidja Benarous
- Science Fundamental Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Amar Telidji, Laghouat, Algeria
| | - Ghulam Muhammad
- Department of Computer Engineering, College of Computer and Information Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11543 Saudi Arabia
| | - Zulfiqar Ali
- School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ UK
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Shamkh IM, Elkazzaz M, Radwan ES, Najeeb J, Rehman MT, AlAjmi MF, Shahwan M, Sufyan M, Alaqeel NK, Ibrahim IA, Jabbar B, Khan MS, Karpiński TM, Haikal A, Aljowaie RM, Almutairi SM, Ahmed A. AI-driven Discovery of Celecoxib and Dexamethasone for Exploring their Mode of Action as Human Interleukin (IL-6) Inhibitors to Treat COVID-19-induced Cytokine Storm in Humans. Curr Pharm Des 2023; 29:2752-2762. [PMID: 37921134 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128260449231017091824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the case of COVID-19 patients, it has been observed that the immune system of the infected person exhibits an extreme inflammatory response known as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) where the inflammatory cytokines are swiftly produced in quite large amounts in response to infective stimuli. Numerous case studies of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms have documented the presence of higher plasma concentrations of human interleukin-6 (IL-6), which suggests that IL-6 is a crucial factor in the pathophysiology of the disease. In order to prevent CRS in COVID-19 patients, the drugs that can exhibit binding interactions with IL-6 and block the signaling pathways to decrease the IL-6 activity may be repurposed. METHODS This research work focused on molecular docking-based screening of the drugs celecoxib (CXB) and dexamethasone (DME) to explore their potential to interact with the binding sites of IL-6 protein and reduce the hyper-activation of IL-6 in the infected personnel. RESULTS Both of the drugs were observed to bind with the IL-6 (IL-6 receptor alpha chain) and IL-6Rα receptor with the respective affinities of -7.3 kcal/mol and -6.3 kcal/mol, respectively, for CXB and DME. Moreover, various types of binding interactions of the drugs with the target proteins were also observed in the docking studies. The dynamic behaviors of IL-6/IL-6Rα in complex with the drugs were also explored through molecular dynamics simulation analysis. The results indicated significant stabilities of the acquired drug-protein complexes up to 100 ns. CONCLUSION The findings of this study have suggested the potential of the drugs studied to be utilized as antagonists for countering CRS in COVID-19 ailment. This study presents the studied drugs as promising candidates both for the clinical and pre-clinical treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israa M Shamkh
- Chemo and Bioinformatics Lab, Bio Search Research Institution BSRI, Giza 12613, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Elkazzaz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta 7952567, Egypt
| | - Enas S Radwan
- Faculty of Science, Zarqa University, Zarqa 13132, Jordan
| | - Jawayria Najeeb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Gujrat, Gujrat 50700, Pakistan
| | - Md Tabish Rehman
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Center for Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamed F AlAjmi
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Moayad Shahwan
- Center for Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Muhammad Sufyan
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Nouf Khalifa Alaqeel
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim A Ibrahim
- Botany and Microbiology Department (Biotechnology Program), Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta, Egypt
| | - Basit Jabbar
- Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Mohammad Shahbaz Khan
- Children's National Hospital, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Tomasz M Karpiński
- Chair and Department of Medical Microbiology, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Wieniawskiego 3, Poznań 61-712, Poland
| | - Abdullah Haikal
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Reem M Aljowaie
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saeedah Musaed Almutairi
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amr Ahmed
- Director of Tuberculosis Ghubera Mobile Team, Public Health Department, First Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 966-11, Saudi Arabia
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Blanes-Mira C, Fernández-Aguado P, de Andrés-López J, Fernández-Carvajal A, Ferrer-Montiel A, Fernández-Ballester G. Comprehensive Survey of Consensus Docking for High-Throughput Virtual Screening. Molecules 2022; 28:molecules28010175. [PMID: 36615367 PMCID: PMC9821981 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28010175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid advances of 3D techniques for the structural determination of proteins and the development of numerous computational methods and strategies have led to identifying highly active compounds in computer drug design. Molecular docking is a method widely used in high-throughput virtual screening campaigns to filter potential ligands targeted to proteins. A great variety of docking programs are currently available, which differ in the algorithms and approaches used to predict the binding mode and the affinity of the ligand. All programs heavily rely on scoring functions to accurately predict ligand binding affinity, and despite differences in performance, none of these docking programs is preferable to the others. To overcome this problem, consensus scoring methods improve the outcome of virtual screening by averaging the rank or score of individual molecules obtained from different docking programs. The successful application of consensus docking in high-throughput virtual screening highlights the need to optimize the predictive power of molecular docking methods.
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Mimicking Gene-Environment Interaction of Higher Altitude Dwellers by Intermittent Hypoxia Training: COVID-19 Preventive Strategies. BIOLOGY 2022; 12:biology12010006. [PMID: 36671699 PMCID: PMC9855005 DOI: 10.3390/biology12010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) inhibitors have been demonstrated to protect against hypoxia pathogenesis in several investigations. It has also been utilized as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of COVID-19. COX inhibitors, which have previously been shown to be effective in treating previous viral and malarial infections are strong candidates for improving the COVID-19 therapeutic doctrine. However, another COX inhibitor, ibuprofen, is linked to an increase in the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which could increase virus susceptibility. Hence, inhibiting COX2 via therapeutics might not always be protective and we need to investigate the downstream molecules that may be involved in hypoxia environment adaptation. Research has discovered that people who are accustomed to reduced oxygen levels at altitude may be protected against the harmful effects of COVID-19. It is important to highlight that the study's conclusions only applied to those who regularly lived at high altitudes; they did not apply to those who occasionally moved to higher altitudes but still lived at lower altitudes. COVID-19 appears to be more dangerous to individuals residing at lower altitudes. The downstream molecules in the (COX2) pathway have been shown to adapt in high-altitude dwellers, which may partially explain why these individuals have a lower prevalence of COVID-19 infection. More research is needed, however, to directly address COX2 expression in people living at higher altitudes. It is possible to mimic the gene-environment interaction of higher altitude people by intermittent hypoxia training. COX-2 adaptation resulting from hypoxic exposure at altitude or intermittent hypoxia exercise training (IHT) seems to have an important therapeutic function. Swimming, a type of IHT, was found to lower COX-2 protein production, a pro-inflammatory milieu transcription factor, while increasing the anti-inflammatory microenvironment. Furthermore, Intermittent Hypoxia Preconditioning (IHP) has been demonstrated in numerous clinical investigations to enhance patients' cardiopulmonary function, raise cardiorespiratory fitness, and increase tissues' and organs' tolerance to ischemia. Biochemical activities of IHP have also been reported as a feasible application strategy for IHP for the rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients. In this paper, we aim to highlight some of the most relevant shared genes implicated with COVID-19 pathogenesis and hypoxia. We hypothesize that COVID-19 pathogenesis and hypoxia share a similar mechanism that affects apoptosis, proliferation, the immune system, and metabolism. We also highlight the necessity of studying individuals who live at higher altitudes to emulate their gene-environment interactions and compare the findings with IHT. Finally, we propose COX2 as an upstream target for testing the effectiveness of IHT in preventing or minimizing the effects of COVID-19 and other oxygen-related pathological conditions in the future.
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24
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Budipramana K, Sangande F. Molecular docking-based virtual screening: Challenges in hits identification for Anti-SARS-Cov-2 activity. PHARMACIA 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/pharmacia.69.e89812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) requires finding new drugs or repurposing drugs for clinical use. Molecular docking belongs to structure-based drug design providing a fast method for identifying the hit compounds with antiviral activity against SARS-Cov-2. However, the weakness of the docking method is compounded by the limited crystallographic information and comparison drugs due to the novelty of this virus can present challenges in identifying hits of anti-SARS-Cov-2. In the current review, we highlighted several aspects, especially those related to the target structure, docking validation, and virtual hit selection, that need to be considered to obtain reliable docking results. Here, we discussed several cases pertaining to the issue highlighted and approaches that could be used to solve them.
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25
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Wang J, Jiang Y, Wu Y, Yu H, Wang Z, Ma Y. Pharmacophore-Based Virtual Screening of Potential SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors from Library of Natural Products. Nat Prod Commun 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/1934578x221143635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is an attractive target for drug discovery. Methods: A pharmacophore model was built using the three-dimensional (3D) pharmacophore generation algorithm HypoGen in Discovery Studio 2019. The best pharmacophore model was selected for validation using a test set of 24 compounds and was used as a 3D query for further screening of an in-house database of natural compounds. Lipinski's rule of five was used to assess the drug-like properties of the hit compounds. The filtered compounds were then subjected to bioactivity evaluations. The active compounds were docked into the active site of the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro crystal structure (PDB ID: 7D1M). Results: A suitable 3D pharmacophore model, Hypo1, was found to be the best model, consisting of four features (one hydrophobic feature, one hydrogen bond donor, and two hydrogen bond acceptors). Pharmacophore-based virtual screening with Hypo1 as the query to search an in-house database of 34 439 natural compounds resulted in 1502 hits. Among these, 255 compounds satisfied Lipinski's rule of five. The highest ranking 10 compounds were selected for further experimental testing, and one hit (W-7) illustrated inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro with an IC50 value of 75 μM. Docking studies revealed that this hit compound retained the necessary interactions within the active site of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Conclusion The identified lead natural compound could provide a scaffold for the further development of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yu Jiang
- College of Pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yingnan Wu
- College of Pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Hui Yu
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Disease-Related Biomarkers, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
| | - Zhanli Wang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Disease-Related Biomarkers, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuheng Ma
- College of Pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
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26
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Morris CJ, Stern JA, Stark B, Christopherson M, Della Corte D. MILCDock: Machine Learning Enhanced Consensus Docking for Virtual Screening in Drug Discovery. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:5342-5350. [PMID: 36342217 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Molecular docking tools are regularly used to computationally identify new molecules in virtual screening for drug discovery. However, docking tools suffer from inaccurate scoring functions with widely varying performance on different proteins. To enable more accurate ranking of active over inactive ligands in virtual screening, we created a machine learning consensus docking tool, MILCDock, that uses predictions from five traditional molecular docking tools to predict the probability a ligand binds to a protein. MILCDock was trained and tested on data from both the DUD-E and LIT-PCBA docking datasets and shows improved performance over traditional molecular docking tools and other consensus docking methods on the DUD-E dataset. LIT-PCBA targets proved to be difficult for all methods tested. We also find that DUD-E data, although biased, can be effective in training machine learning tools if care is taken to avoid DUD-E's biases during training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor J Morris
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah84602, United States
| | - Jacob A Stern
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah84602, United States.,Department of Computer Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah84602, United States
| | - Brenden Stark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah84602, United States
| | - Max Christopherson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah84602, United States
| | - Dennis Della Corte
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah84602, United States
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Alexandrov V, Kirpich A, Kantidze O, Gankin Y. A multi-reference poly-conformational method for in silico design, optimization, and repositioning of pharmaceutical compounds illustrated for selected SARS-CoV-2 ligands. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14252. [PMID: 36447514 PMCID: PMC9701500 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This work presents a novel computational multi-reference poly-conformational algorithm for design, optimization, and repositioning of pharmaceutical compounds. Methods The algorithm searches for candidates by comparing similarities between conformers of the same compound and identifies target compounds, whose conformers are collectively close to the conformers of each compound in the reference set. Reference compounds may possess highly variable MoAs, which directly, and simultaneously, shape the properties of target candidate compounds. Results The algorithm functionality has been case study validated in silico, by scoring ChEMBL drugs against FDA-approved reference compounds that either have the highest predicted binding affinity to our chosen SARS-CoV-2 targets or are confirmed to be inhibiting such targets in-vivo. All our top scoring ChEMBL compounds also turned out to be either high-affinity ligands to the chosen targets (as confirmed in separate studies) or show significant efficacy, in-vivo, against those selected targets. In addition to method case study validation, in silico search for new compounds within two virtual libraries from the Enamine database is presented. The library's virtual compounds have been compared to the same set of reference drugs that we used for case study validation: Olaparib, Tadalafil, Ergotamine and Remdesivir. The large reference set of four potential SARS-CoV-2 compounds has been selected, since no drug has been identified to be 100% effective against the virus so far, possibly because each candidate drug was targeting only one, particular MoA. The goal here was to introduce a new methodology for identifying potential candidate(s) that cover multiple MoA-s presented within a set of reference compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim Alexandrov
- Liquid Algo LLC, Hopewell Junction, NY, United States of America
| | - Alexander Kirpich
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | | | - Yuriy Gankin
- Quantori, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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28
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Saldivar-Espinoza B, Macip G, Garcia-Segura P, Mestres-Truyol J, Puigbò P, Cereto-Massagué A, Pujadas G, Garcia-Vallve S. Prediction of Recurrent Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 Using Artificial Neural Networks. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314683. [PMID: 36499005 PMCID: PMC9736107 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Predicting SARS-CoV-2 mutations is difficult, but predicting recurrent mutations driven by the host, such as those caused by host deaminases, is feasible. We used machine learning to predict which positions from the SARS-CoV-2 genome will hold a recurrent mutation and which mutations will be the most recurrent. We used data from April 2021 that we separated into three sets: a training set, a validation set, and an independent test set. For the test set, we obtained a specificity value of 0.69, a sensitivity value of 0.79, and an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.8, showing that the prediction of recurrent SARS-CoV-2 mutations is feasible. Subsequently, we compared our predictions with updated data from January 2022, showing that some of the false positives in our prediction model become true positives later on. The most important variables detected by the model's Shapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) are the nucleotide that mutates and RNA reactivity. This is consistent with the SARS-CoV-2 mutational bias pattern and the preference of some host deaminases for specific sequences and RNA secondary structures. We extend our investigation by analyzing the mutations from the variants of concern Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, and Omicron. Finally, we analyzed amino acid changes by looking at the predicted recurrent mutations in the M-pro and spike proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Saldivar-Espinoza
- Research Group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Campus de Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Guillem Macip
- Research Group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Campus de Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Pol Garcia-Segura
- Research Group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Campus de Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Júlia Mestres-Truyol
- Research Group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Campus de Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Pere Puigbò
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20500 Turku, Finland
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Rovira i Virgili University, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
- Nutrition and Health Unit, Eurecat Technology Centre of Catalonia, 43204 Reus, Spain
| | - Adrià Cereto-Massagué
- EURECAT Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Centre for Omic Sciences (COS), Joint Unit Universitat Rovira i Virgili-EURECAT, Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures (ICTS), 43204 Reus, Spain
| | - Gerard Pujadas
- Research Group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Campus de Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Santiago Garcia-Vallve
- Research Group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Campus de Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
- Correspondence:
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Samuel JG, Malgija B, Ebenezer C, Solomon RV. Insight into designing of 2-pyridone derivatives for COVID-19 drug discovery - A computational study. Struct Chem 2022; 34:1-20. [PMID: 36320317 PMCID: PMC9607770 DOI: 10.1007/s11224-022-02076-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Presently, the prime global focus is on SARS-CoV-2, as no fully established, licensed medicine has been found thus far, in spite of the existence of various reports and administration of partially proven certain class of natural products. However, in case of natural products, the extraction and purification limit their application. This situation drives researchers to explore synthetically viable drugs. In the present investigation, twenty-three 2-pyridone synthetic derivatives (P1-P23) have been theoretically tested for their suitability as potential inhibitors for COVID-19 main protease through DFT, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations. DFT calculations offer insights into structure-property relationships, while ADMET studies indicate the pharmacological characteristics of these molecules. Molecular docking studies ascertain the nature and mode of interactions of these entities with COVID-19 main protease. Furthermore, covalent docking has been carried out to verify the feasibility of the formation of a covalent bond with the active site. The top protein-inhibitor complexes, such as P18, P11, and P12, were identified based on their glide score. These molecules, along with the covalent docked complexes, namely P18 and P16, were selected and subjected to molecular dynamics simulations. The 100 ns simulation process exhibited that the covalent docked ones, due to their stable form could serve as lead compounds against SARS-CoV-2. Hence, this study affirms the potential candidature of 2-pyridone-based inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph George Samuel
- Department of Chemistry, Madras Christian College (Autonomous), University of Madras), Chennai, 600 059 India
| | - Beutline Malgija
- MCC-MRF Innovation Park, Madras Christian College, Chennai, 600 059 India
| | - Cheriyan Ebenezer
- Department of Chemistry, Madras Christian College (Autonomous), University of Madras), Chennai, 600 059 India
| | - Rajadurai Vijay Solomon
- Department of Chemistry, Madras Christian College (Autonomous), University of Madras), Chennai, 600 059 India
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Taguchi YH, Turki T. Adapted tensor decomposition and PCA based unsupervised feature extraction select more biologically reasonable differentially expressed genes than conventional methods. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17438. [PMID: 36261574 PMCID: PMC9580456 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21474-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Tensor decomposition- and principal component analysis-based unsupervised feature extraction were proposed almost 5 and 10 years ago, respectively; although these methods have been successfully applied to a wide range of genome analyses, including drug repositioning, biomarker identification, and disease-causing genes' identification, some fundamental problems have been identified: the number of genes identified was too small to assume that there were no false negatives, and the histogram of P values derived was not fully coincident with the null hypothesis that principal component and singular value vectors follow the Gaussian distribution. Optimizing the standard deviation such that the histogram of P values is as much as possible coincident with the null hypothesis results in an increase in the number and biological reliability of the selected genes. Our contribution was that we improved these methods so as to be able to select biologically more reasonable differentially expressed genes than the state of art methods that must empirically assume negative binomial distributions and dispersion relation, which is required for the selecting more expressed genes than less expressed ones, which can be achieved by the proposed methods that do not have to assume these.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y-H Taguchi
- Department of Physics, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8551, Japan.
| | - Turki Turki
- Department of Computer Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
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31
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Mousavi S, Zare S, Mirzaei M, Feizi A. Novel Drug Design for Treatment of COVID-19: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Studies. THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY = JOURNAL CANADIEN DES MALADIES INFECTIEUSES ET DE LA MICROBIOLOGIE MEDICALE 2022; 2022:2044282. [PMID: 36199815 PMCID: PMC9527439 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2044282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Background Since the beginning of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease outbreak, there has been an increasing interest in discovering potential therapeutic agents for this disease. In this regard, we conducted a systematic review through an overview of drug development (in silico, in vitro, and in vivo) for treating COVID-19. Methods A systematic search was carried out in major databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar from December 2019 to March 2021. A combination of the following terms was used: coronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, drug design, drug development, In silico, In vitro, and In vivo. A narrative synthesis was performed as a qualitative method for the data synthesis of each outcome measure. Results A total of 2168 articles were identified through searching databases. Finally, 315 studies (266 in silico, 34 in vitro, and 15 in vivo) were included. In studies with in silico approach, 98 article study repurposed drug and 91 studies evaluated herbal medicine on COVID-19. Among 260 drugs repurposed by the computational method, the best results were observed with saquinavir (n = 9), ritonavir (n = 8), and lopinavir (n = 6). Main protease (n = 154) following spike glycoprotein (n = 62) and other nonstructural protein of virus (n = 45) was among the most studied targets. Doxycycline, chlorpromazine, azithromycin, heparin, bepridil, and glycyrrhizic acid showed both in silico and in vitro inhibitory effects against SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion The preclinical studies of novel drug design for COVID-19 focused on main protease and spike glycoprotein as targets for antiviral development. From evaluated structures, saquinavir, ritonavir, eucalyptus, Tinospora cordifolia, aloe, green tea, curcumin, pyrazole, and triazole derivatives in in silico studies and doxycycline, chlorpromazine, and heparin from in vitro and human monoclonal antibodies from in vivo studies showed promised results regarding efficacy. It seems that due to the nature of COVID-19 disease, finding some drugs with multitarget antiviral actions and anti-inflammatory potential is valuable and some herbal medicines have this potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Mousavi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Shima Zare
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Mirzaei
- Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Awat Feizi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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32
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Dankwa B, Broni E, Enninful KS, Kwofie SK, Wilson MD. Consensus docking and MM-PBSA computations identify putative furin protease inhibitors for developing potential therapeutics against COVID-19. Struct Chem 2022; 33:2221-2241. [PMID: 36118173 PMCID: PMC9470509 DOI: 10.1007/s11224-022-02056-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic that has severely posed substantial health challenges and claimed millions of lives. Though vaccines have been produced to stem the spread of this disease, the death rate remains high since drugs used for treatment have therapeutic challenges. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the disease, has a slew of potential therapeutic targets. Among them is the furin protease, which has a cleavage site on the virus’s spike protein. The cleavage site facilitates the entry of the virus into human cells via cell–cell fusion. This critical involvement of furin in the disease pathogenicity has made it a viable therapeutic strategy against the virus. This study employs the consensus docking approach using HYBRID and AutoDock Vina to virtually screen a pre-filtered library of 3942 natural product compounds of African origin against the human furin protease (PDB: 4RYD). Twenty of these compounds were selected as hits after meeting molecular docking cut-off of − 7 kcal.mol−1, pose alignment inspection, and having favorable furin-ligand interactions. An area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.72 was computed from the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve, and Boltzmann-enhanced discrimination of the ROC curve (BEDROC) value of 0.65 showed that AutoDock Vina was a reasonable tool for selecting actives for this target. Seven of these hits were proposed as potential leads having had bonding interactions with catalytic triad residues Ser368, His194, and Asp153, and other essential residues in the active site with plausible binding free energies between − 189 and − 95 kJ/mol from the Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) calculations as well as favorable ADME/Tox properties. The molecules were also predicted as antiviral, anti-inflammatory, membrane permeability inhibitors, RNA synthesis inhibitors, cytoprotective, and hepatoprotective with probable activity (Pa) above 0.5 and probable inactivity values below 0.1. Some of them also have anti-influenza activity. Influenza virus has many similarities with SARS-CoV-2 in their mode of entry into human cells as both are facilitated by the furin protease. Pinobanksin 3-(E)-caffeate, one of the potential leads is a propolis compound. Propolis compounds have shown inhibitory effects against ACE2, TMPRSS2, and PAK1 signaling pathways of SARS-CoV-2 in previous studies. Likewise, quercitrin is structurally similar to isoquercetin, which is currently in clinical trials as possible medication for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bismark Dankwa
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra LG 581, Ghana
- Department of Computer Science, School of Physical & Mathematical Science, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, LG 163 Legon, Accra Ghana
| | - Emmanuel Broni
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra LG 581, Ghana
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra LG 77, Ghana
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153 USA
| | - Kweku S. Enninful
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra LG 581, Ghana
| | - Samuel K. Kwofie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra LG 77, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra LG 54, Ghana
| | - Michael D. Wilson
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra LG 581, Ghana
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153 USA
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Bio-Guided Isolation of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors from Medicinal Plants: In Vitro Assay and Molecular Dynamics. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11151914. [PMID: 35893619 PMCID: PMC9332707 DOI: 10.3390/plants11151914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Since the emergence of the pandemic of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the discovery of antiviral phytoconstituents from medicinal plants against SARS-CoV-2 has been comprehensively researched. In this study, thirty-three plants belonging to seventeen different families used traditionally in Saudi Arabia were tested in vitro for their ability to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (MPRO). Major constituents of the bio-active extracts were isolated and tested for their inhibition potential against this enzyme; in addition, their antiviral activity against the SARS-CoV-2 Egyptian strain was assessed. Further, the thermodynamic stability of the best active compounds was studied through focused comparative insights for the active metabolites regarding ligand–target binding characteristics at the molecular level. Additionally, the obtained computational findings provided useful directions for future drug optimization and development. The results revealed that Psiadia punctulata, Aframomum melegueta, and Nigella sativa extracts showed a high percentage of inhibition of 66.4, 58.7, and 31.5%, against SARS-CoV-2 MPRO, respectively. The major isolated constituents of these plants were identified as gardenins A and B (from P. punctulata), 6-gingerol and 6-paradol (from A. melegueta), and thymoquinone (from N. sativa). These compounds are the first to be tested invitro against SARS-CoV-2 MPRO. Among the isolated compounds, only thymoquinone (THY), gardenin A (GDA), 6-gingerol (GNG), and 6-paradol (PAD) inhibited the SARS-CoV-2 MPRO enzyme with inhibition percentages of 63.21, 73.80, 65.2, and 71.8%, respectively. In vitro assessment of SARS-CoV-2 (hCoV-19/Egypt/NRC-03/2020 (accession number on GSAID: EPI_ISL_430820) revealed a strong-to-low antiviral activity of the isolated compounds. THY showed relatively high cytotoxicity and was anti-SARS-CoV-2, while PAD demonstrated a cytotoxic effect on the tested VERO cells with a selectivity index of CC50/IC50 = 1.33 and CC50/IC50 = 0.6, respectively. Moreover, GNG had moderate activity at non-cytotoxic concentrations in vitro with a selectivity index of CC50/IC50 = 101.3/43.45 = 2.3. Meanwhile, GDA showed weak activity with a selectivity index of CC50/IC50 = 246.5/83.77 = 2.9. The thermodynamic stability of top-active compounds revealed preferential stability and SARS-CoV-2 MPRO binding affinity for PAD through molecular-docking-coupled molecular dynamics simulation. The obtained results suggest the treating potential of these plants and/or their active metabolites for COVID-19. However, further in-vivo and clinical investigations are required to establish the potential preventive and treatment effectiveness of these plants and/or their bio-active compounds in COVID-19.
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Mohan S, Dharani J, Natarajan R, Nagarajan A. Molecular docking and identification of G-protein-coupled receptor 120 (GPR120) agonists as SARS COVID-19 MPro inhibitors. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2022; 20:108. [PMID: 35849279 PMCID: PMC9289937 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-022-00375-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 has become a pandemic, and any new drug for treating the disease could save millions of lives. Several drugs already in use for other diseases and medical conditions are repurposed for treating COVID-19 in an attempt to find treatment for the disease without spending research time on ADME TOX and other studies on side effects. In this exercise, the drugs repurposed are from antiviral, antibiotics, antiviral for HIV and HCV, anti-cancer, natural medicines, etc. Possible repurposing anti-diabetic GPR-120 agonists used as for SAR-CoV-2 is attempted in the study by carrying out docking of 68 GPR-120 agonists. Ten of these compounds were found to have docking scores −8.3 to −8.0, and the best docking score was observed for an arylsulfonamide and a biarylpropanoic acid belonging to GPR120 agonists previously evaluated for the treatment of type II diabetes. These GPR120 agonists could serve as start point for novel inhibitors for the discovery of drugs to treat COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sellappan Mohan
- Karpagam College of Pharmacy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641032, India.
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Short-term celecoxib (celebrex) adjuvant therapy: a clinical trial study on COVID-19 patients. Inflammopharmacology 2022; 30:1645-1657. [PMID: 35834150 PMCID: PMC9281238 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-022-01029-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Background It is known that severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the viral strain responsible for the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Current documents have demonstrated that the virus causes a PGE2 storm in a substantial proportion of patients via upregulating cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and downregulating prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-degrading enzymes within the host cell. Aim Herein, we aimed to study how short-term treatment with celecoxib (Celebrex), a selective COX-2 inhibitor, affects demographic features, early symptoms, O2 saturation, and hematological indices of cases with COVID-19. Methods A total of 67 confirmed COVID-19 cases with a mild or moderate disease, who had been referred to an institutional hospital in south-eastern Iran from October 2020 to September 2021, were enrolled. Demographic characteristics, symptoms, and hematological indices of the patients were recorded within different time periods. One-way ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to determine differences between data sets based on normal data distribution. Results O2 saturation was statistically different between the control group and patients receiving celecoxib (p = 0.039). There was no marked difference between the groups in terms of the symptoms they experienced (p > 0.05). On the first days following Celebrex therapy, analysis of complete blood counts showed that white blood cell (WBC) counts were markedly lower in patients treated with a high dose of celecoxib (0.4 g/day) than in controls (p = 0.026). However, mean lymphocyte levels in patients receiving a high dose of celecoxib (0.4 g/day) were markedly higher than in patients receiving celecoxib with half of the dose (0.2 g/day) for one week or the untreated subjects (p = 0.004). Changes in platelet count also followed the WBC alteration pattern. Conclusion Celecoxib is a relatively safe, inexpensive, and widely available drug with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory properties. The therapeutic efficacy of celecoxib depends on the administrated dose. Celecoxib might improve disease-free survival in patients with COVID-19.
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Gao K, Wang R, Chen J, Cheng L, Frishcosy J, Huzumi Y, Qiu Y, Schluckbier T, Wei X, Wei GW. Methodology-Centered Review of Molecular Modeling, Simulation, and Prediction of SARS-CoV-2. Chem Rev 2022; 122:11287-11368. [PMID: 35594413 PMCID: PMC9159519 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite tremendous efforts in the past two years, our understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), virus-host interactions, immune response, virulence, transmission, and evolution is still very limited. This limitation calls for further in-depth investigation. Computational studies have become an indispensable component in combating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to their low cost, their efficiency, and the fact that they are free from safety and ethical constraints. Additionally, the mechanism that governs the global evolution and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 cannot be revealed from individual experiments and was discovered by integrating genotyping of massive viral sequences, biophysical modeling of protein-protein interactions, deep mutational data, deep learning, and advanced mathematics. There exists a tsunami of literature on the molecular modeling, simulations, and predictions of SARS-CoV-2 and related developments of drugs, vaccines, antibodies, and diagnostics. To provide readers with a quick update about this literature, we present a comprehensive and systematic methodology-centered review. Aspects such as molecular biophysics, bioinformatics, cheminformatics, machine learning, and mathematics are discussed. This review will be beneficial to researchers who are looking for ways to contribute to SARS-CoV-2 studies and those who are interested in the status of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaifu Gao
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Rui Wang
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Jiahui Chen
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Limei Cheng
- Clinical
Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics, Bristol
Myers Squibb, Princeton, New Jersey 08536, United States
| | - Jaclyn Frishcosy
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Yuta Huzumi
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Yuchi Qiu
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Tom Schluckbier
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Xiaoqi Wei
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Guo-Wei Wei
- Department
of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
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37
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Celecoxib Microparticles for Inhalation in COVID-19-Related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14071392. [PMID: 35890288 PMCID: PMC9320401 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14071392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhalation therapy is gaining increasing attention for the delivery of drugs destined to treat respiratory disorders associated with cytokine storms, such as COVID-19. The pathogenesis of COVID-19 includes an inflammatory storm with the release of cytokines from macrophages, which may be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs as celecoxib (CXB). For this, CXB-loaded PLGA microparticles (MPs) for inhaled therapy and that are able to be internalized by alveolar macrophages, were developed. MPs were prepared with 5% and 10% initial percentages of CXB (MP-C1 and MP-C2). For both systems, the mean particle size was around 5 µm, which was adequate for macrophage uptake, and the mean encapsulation efficiency was >89%. The in vitro release of CXB was prolonged for more than 40 and 70 days, respectively. The uptake of fluorescein-loaded PLGA MPs by the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line was evidenced by flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy. CXB-loaded PLGA MPs did not produce cytotoxicity at the concentrations assayed. The anti-inflammatory activity of CXB (encapsulated and in solution) was evaluated by determining the IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α levels at 24 h and 72 h in RAW 264.7 macrophages, resulting in a higher degree of reduction in the expression of inflammatory mediators for CXB in solution. A potent degree of gene expression reduction was obtained with the developed CXB-loaded MPs.
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38
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Gómez-Segura L, Boix-Montañes A, Mallandrich M, Parra-Coca A, Soriano-Ruiz JL, Calpena AC, Gimeno Á, Bellido D, Colom H. Swine as the Animal Model for Testing New Formulations of Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Carprofen Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability of the Intramuscular Route. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1045. [PMID: 35631631 PMCID: PMC9143053 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14051045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Carprofen (CP) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) frequently used to treat respiratory diseases in numerous small animals, but also in large species. CP is a formidable candidate for further therapeutic research of human inflammatory diseases using the pig as an animal model. However, CP administration in swine is very uncommon and respective pharmacokinetics/bioavailability studies are scarce. A simultaneous population pharmacokinetic analysis after CP intravenous and intramuscular administrations in pigs has shown high extent and rate of absorption and a similar distribution profile with respect to man and other mammals. However, clearance and half-life values found in swine suggest a slower elimination process than that observed in man and some other animal species. Although not reported in other species, liver and kidney concentrations achieved at 48 h post-intramuscular administration in pigs were ten times lower than those found in plasma. Simulations pointed to 4 mg/kg every 24 h as the best dosage regimen to achieve similar therapeutic levels to those observed in other animal species. All these findings support the use of pig as an animal model to study the anti-inflammatory effects of CP in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Gómez-Segura
- Department of Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
| | - Antoni Boix-Montañes
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (A.B.-M.); (A.C.C.); (H.C.)
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Mallandrich
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (A.B.-M.); (A.C.C.); (H.C.)
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexander Parra-Coca
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnic, Faculty of Agriculture Sciences, University of Applied and Environmental Sciences, Bogota 111166, Colombia;
| | - José L. Soriano-Ruiz
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
| | - Ana Cristina Calpena
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (A.B.-M.); (A.C.C.); (H.C.)
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Álvaro Gimeno
- Department of Animal Research, Animal House of Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, CCiT-UB, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain;
| | - David Bellido
- Department of Separative Techniques, Scientific and Technological Centers, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Helena Colom
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (A.B.-M.); (A.C.C.); (H.C.)
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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In Silico and Experimental Investigation of the Biological Potential of Some Recently Developed Carprofen Derivatives. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27092722. [PMID: 35566083 PMCID: PMC9101252 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27092722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The efficient regioselective bromination and iodination of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) carprofen were achieved by using bromine and iodine monochloride in glacial acetic acid. The novel halogenated carprofen derivatives were functionalized at the carboxylic group by esterification. The regioselectivity of the halogenation reaction was evidenced by NMR spectroscopy and confirmed by X-ray analysis. The compounds were screened for their in vitro antibacterial activity against planktonic cells and also for their anti-biofilm effect, using Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853). The cytotoxic activity of the novel compounds was tested against HeLa cells. The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of carprofen derivatives, as well as their toxicity, were established by in silico analyses.
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Mahanta S, Naiya T, Biswas K, Changkakoti L, Mohanta YK, Tanti B, Mishra AK, Mohanta TK, Sharma N. Plant Source Derived Compound Exhibited In Silico Inhibition of Membrane Glycoprotein In SARS-CoV-2: Paving the Way to Discover a New Class of Compound For Treatment of COVID-19. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:805344. [PMID: 35462888 PMCID: PMC9022603 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.805344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for causing COVID-19 disease in humans, creating the recent pandemic across the world, where lower production of Type I Interferon (IFN-I) is associated with the deadly form of the disease. Membrane protein or SARS-CoV-2 M proteins are known to be the major reason behind the lower production of human IFN-I by suppressing the expression of IFNβ and Interferon Stimulated Genes. In this study, 7,832 compounds from 32 medicinal plants of India possessing traditional knowledge linkage with pneumonia-like disease treatment, were screened against the Homology-Modelled structure of SARS-CoV-2 M protein with the objective of identifying some active phytochemicals as inhibitors. The entire study was carried out using different modules of Schrodinger Suite 2020-3. During the docking of the phytochemicals against the SARS-CoV-2 M protein, a compound, ZIN1722 from Zingiber officinale showed the best binding affinity with the receptor with a Glide Docking Score of −5.752 and Glide gscore of −5.789. In order to study the binding stability, the complex between the SARS-CoV-2 M protein and ZIN1722 was subjected to 50 ns Molecular Dynamics simulation using Desmond module of Schrodinger suite 2020-3, during which the receptor-ligand complex showed substantial stability after 32 ns of MD Simulation. The molecule ZIN1722 also showed promising results during ADME-Tox analysis performed using Swiss ADME and pkCSM. With all the findings of this extensive computational study, the compound ZIN1722 is proposed as a potential inhibitor to the SARS-CoV-2 M protein, which may subsequently prevent the immunosuppression mechanism in the human body during the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. Further studies based on this work would pave the way towards the identification of an effective therapeutic regime for the treatment and management of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a precise and sustainable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurov Mahanta
- National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Guwahati, India
| | - Tufan Naiya
- Department of Biotechnology, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, West Bengal, India
| | - Kunal Biswas
- Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
| | - Liza Changkakoti
- National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Guwahati, India
| | - Yugal Kishore Mohanta
- Department of Applied Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), Baridua, India
| | - Bhaben Tanti
- Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Guwahati, India
| | - Awdhesh Kumar Mishra
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Awdhesh Kumar Mishra, ; Tapan Kumar Mohanta, , ; Nanaocha Sharma,
| | - Tapan Kumar Mohanta
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Centre, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
- *Correspondence: Awdhesh Kumar Mishra, ; Tapan Kumar Mohanta, , ; Nanaocha Sharma,
| | - Nanaocha Sharma
- Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development, Imphal, India
- *Correspondence: Awdhesh Kumar Mishra, ; Tapan Kumar Mohanta, , ; Nanaocha Sharma,
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Molecular Docking as a Potential Approach in Repurposing Drugs Against COVID-19: a Systematic Review and Novel Pharmacophore Models. CURRENT PHARMACOLOGY REPORTS 2022; 8:212-226. [PMID: 35381996 PMCID: PMC8970976 DOI: 10.1007/s40495-022-00285-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review This article provides a review of the recent literature related to the FDA-approved drugs that had been repurposed as potential drug candidates against COVID-19. Moreover, we performed a quality pharmacophore study for frequently studied targets, namely, the main protease, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and spike protein. Recent Findings Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole spectrum of scientific community is still unable to invent an absolute therapeutic agent for COVID-19. Considering such a fact, drug repurposing strategies seem a truly viable approach to develop novel therapeutic interventions. Summery Drug repurposing explores previously approved drugs of known safety and pharmacokinetics profile for possible new effects, reducing the cost, time, and predicting prospective side effects and drug interactions. COVID-19 virulent machinery appeared similar to other viruses, making antiviral agents widely repurposed in pursuit for curative candidates. Our main protease pharmacophoric study revealed multiple features and could be a probable starting point for upcoming research.
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Airas J, Bayas CA, N'Ait Ousidi A, Ait Itto MY, Auhmani A, Loubidi M, Esseffar M, Pollock JA, Parish CA. Investigating novel thiazolyl-indazole derivatives as scaffolds for SARS-CoV-2 M Pro inhibitors. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY REPORTS 2022; 4:100034. [PMID: 37519829 PMCID: PMC8828376 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmcr.2022.100034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 is a global pandemic caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Remdesivir, a SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase inhibitor, is the only drug to have received widespread approval for treatment of COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease enzyme (MPro), essential for viral replication and transcription, remains an active target in the search for new treatments. In this study, the ability of novel thiazolyl-indazole derivatives to inhibit MPro is evaluated. These compounds were synthesized via the heterocyclization of phenacyl bromide with (R)-carvone, (R)-pulegone and (R)-menthone thiosemicarbazones. The binding affinity and binding interactions of each compound were evaluated through Schrödinger Glide docking, AMBER molecular dynamics simulations, and MM-GBSA free energy estimation, and these results were compared with similar calculations of MPro binding various 5-mer substrates (VKLQA, VKLQS, VKLQG) and a previously identified MPro tight-binder X77. From these simulations, we can see that binding is driven by residue specific interactions such as π-stacking with His41, and S/π interactions with Met49 and Met165. The compounds were also experimentally evaluated in a MPro biochemical assay and the most potent compound containing a phenylthiazole moiety inhibited protease activity with an IC50 of 92.9 μM. This suggests that the phenylthiazole scaffold is a promising candidate for the development of future MPro inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Airas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Richmond, Gottwald Center for the Sciences, Richmond, VA, 23173, USA
| | - Catherine A Bayas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Richmond, Gottwald Center for the Sciences, Richmond, VA, 23173, USA
| | - Abdellah N'Ait Ousidi
- Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, BP, 2390, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Moulay Youssef Ait Itto
- Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, BP, 2390, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Aziz Auhmani
- Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, BP, 2390, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Loubidi
- Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, BP, 2390, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - M'hamed Esseffar
- Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, BP, 2390, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Julie A Pollock
- Department of Chemistry, University of Richmond, Gottwald Center for the Sciences, Richmond, VA, 23173, USA
| | - Carol A Parish
- Department of Chemistry, University of Richmond, Gottwald Center for the Sciences, Richmond, VA, 23173, USA
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43
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Antonopoulou I, Sapountzaki E, Rova U, Christakopoulos P. Inhibition of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 (M pro) by repurposing/designing drug-like substances and utilizing nature's toolbox of bioactive compounds. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:1306-1344. [PMID: 35308802 PMCID: PMC8920478 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a long pandemic, with numerous cases and victims worldwide and enormous consequences on social and economic life. Although vaccinations have proceeded and provide a valuable shield against the virus, the approved drugs are limited and it is crucial that further ways to combat infection are developed, that can also act against potential mutations. The main protease (Mpro) of the virus is an appealing target for the development of inhibitors, due to its importance in the viral life cycle and its high conservation among different coronaviruses. Several compounds have shown inhibitory potential against Mpro, both in silico and in vitro, with few of them also having entered clinical trials. These candidates include: known drugs that have been repurposed, molecules specifically designed based on the natural substrate of the protease or on structural moieties that have shown high binding affinity to the protease active site, as well as naturally derived compounds, either isolated or in plant extracts. The aim of this work is to collectively present the results of research regarding Mpro inhibitors to date, focusing on the function of the compounds founded by in silico simulations and further explored by in vitro and in vivo assays. Creating an extended portfolio of promising compounds that may block viral replication by inhibiting Mpro and by understanding involved structure-activity relationships, could provide a basis for the development of effective solutions against SARS-CoV-2 and future related outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ulrika Rova
- Biochemical Process Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Paul Christakopoulos
- Biochemical Process Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
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44
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Li J, Zhang K, Bao J, Yang J, Wu C. Potential mechanism of action of Jing Fang Bai Du San in the treatment of COVID-19 using docking and network pharmacology. Int J Med Sci 2022; 19:213-224. [PMID: 35165507 PMCID: PMC8795796 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.67116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), severely infects people and has rapidly spread worldwide. JingFangBaiDu San (JFBDS) has been used to treat prevalent epidemic pathogens, common cold, headache, cough due to lung-cold, and other symptoms; however, its treatment for COVID-19 is unknown. Molecular docking and network pharmacology were applied to obtain ingredient-protein structures and the herb-ingredient-disease target network model, respectively, to explore the potential mechanism of JFBDS in COVID-19 treatment. Network pharmacology analysis showed that acacetin, wogonin, and isorhamnetin were the main active ingredients of JFBDS, and EGFR, PIK3CA, LCK, MAPK1, MAPK3, MAPK8, STAT3, TNF, IL2, and RELA were speculated to be crucial therapeutic targets. Moreover, the Toll-like receptors, HIF-1, PIK3K/AKT, MAPK, NF-κB and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways were important for JFBDS in COVID-19 treatment. Molecular docking analysis indicated that ingredients of JFBDS could bind to angiotensin converting enzyme II, spike protein, and chymotrypsin like protease (3CLpro), which inhibits virus entry and replication in host cells. This study provides a new perspective for understanding potential therapeutic effects and mechanisms of JFBDS in COVID-19 and may facilitate its clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojiao Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 110016, Shenyang, PR China.,Department of Rehabilitation, Jin Qiu Hospital of Liaoning Province, 110016, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Kuo Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 110016, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Jimin Bao
- Department of Rehabilitation, Jin Qiu Hospital of Liaoning Province, 110016, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Jingyu Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 110016, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Chunfu Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 110016, Shenyang, PR China
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45
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Macip G, Garcia-Segura P, Mestres-Truyol J, Saldivar-Espinoza B, Pujadas G, Garcia-Vallvé S. A Review of the Current Landscape of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors: Have We Hit the Bullseye Yet? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:259. [PMID: 35008685 PMCID: PMC8745775 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we collected 1765 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) M-pro inhibitors from the bibliography and other sources, such as the COVID Moonshot project and the ChEMBL database. This set of inhibitors includes only those compounds whose inhibitory capacity, mainly expressed as the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value, against M-pro from SARS-CoV-2 has been determined. Several covalent warheads are used to treat covalent and non-covalent inhibitors separately. Chemical space, the variation of the IC50 inhibitory activity when measured by different methods or laboratories, and the influence of 1,4-dithiothreitol (DTT) are discussed. When available, we have collected the values of inhibition of viral replication measured with a cellular antiviral assay and expressed as half maximal effective concentration (EC50) values, and their possible relationship to inhibitory potency against M-pro is analyzed. Finally, the most potent covalent and non-covalent inhibitors that simultaneously inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 M-pro and the virus replication in vitro are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Gerard Pujadas
- Research Group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Campus Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain; (G.M.); (P.G.-S.); (J.M.-T.); (B.S.-E.)
| | - Santiago Garcia-Vallvé
- Research Group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Campus Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain; (G.M.); (P.G.-S.); (J.M.-T.); (B.S.-E.)
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46
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Aronskyy I, Masoudi-Sobhanzadeh Y, Cappuccio A, Zaslavsky E. Advances in the computational landscape for repurposed drugs against COVID-19. Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:2800-2815. [PMID: 34339864 PMCID: PMC8323501 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of deaths and massive societal distress worldwide. Therapeutic solutions are urgently needed, but de novo drug development remains a lengthy process. One promising alternative is computational drug repurposing, which enables the prioritization of existing compounds through fast in silico analyses. Recent efforts based on molecular docking, machine learning, and network analysis have produced actionable predictions. Some predicted drugs, targeting viral proteins and pathological host pathways are undergoing clinical trials. Here, we review this work, highlight drugs with high predicted efficacy and classify their mechanisms of action. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the published methodologies and outline possible future directions. Finally, we curate a list of COVID-19 data portals and other repositories that could be used to accelerate future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Illya Aronskyy
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Yosef Masoudi-Sobhanzadeh
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Biomedicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Antonio Cappuccio
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Elena Zaslavsky
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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Hsieh K, Wang Y, Chen L, Zhao Z, Savitz S, Jiang X, Tang J, Kim Y. Drug repurposing for COVID-19 using graph neural network and harmonizing multiple evidence. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23179. [PMID: 34848761 PMCID: PMC8632883 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02353-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in 2019 and the pandemic continues for more than one year, a vast amount of drug research has been conducted and few of them got FDA approval. Our objective is to prioritize repurposable drugs using a pipeline that systematically integrates the interaction between COVID-19 and drugs, deep graph neural networks, and in vitro/population-based validations. We first collected all available drugs (n = 3635) related to COVID-19 patient treatment through CTDbase. We built a COVID-19 knowledge graph based on the interactions among virus baits, host genes, pathways, drugs, and phenotypes. A deep graph neural network approach was used to derive the candidate drug's representation based on the biological interactions. We prioritized the candidate drugs using clinical trial history, and then validated them with their genetic profiles, in vitro experimental efficacy, and population-based treatment effect. We highlight the top 22 drugs including Azithromycin, Atorvastatin, Aspirin, Acetaminophen, and Albuterol. We further pinpointed drug combinations that may synergistically target COVID-19. In summary, we demonstrated that the integration of extensive interactions, deep neural networks, and multiple evidence can facilitate the rapid identification of candidate drugs for COVID-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanglin Hsieh
- Center for Secure Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yinyin Wang
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Luyao Chen
- Center for Secure Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhongming Zhao
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sean Savitz
- Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaoqian Jiang
- Center for Secure Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jing Tang
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yejin Kim
- Center for Secure Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
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Li C, Ou R, Wei Q, Shang H. Carnitine and COVID-19 Susceptibility and Severity: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Front Nutr 2021; 8:780205. [PMID: 34901126 PMCID: PMC8656944 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.780205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Carnitine, a potential substitute or supplementation for dexamethasone, might protect against COVID-19 based on its molecular functions. However, the correlation between carnitine and COVID-19 has not been explored yet, and whether there exists causation is unknown. Methods: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to explore the causal relationship between carnitine level and COVID-19. Significant single nucleotide polymorphisms from genome-wide association study on carnitine (N = 7,824) were utilized as exposure instruments, and summary statistics of the susceptibility (N = 1,467,264), severity (N = 714,592) and hospitalization (N = 1,887,658) of COVID-19 were utilized as the outcome. The causal relationship was evaluated by multiplicative random effects inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, and further verified by another three MR methods including MR Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode, as well as extensive sensitivity analyses. Results: Genetically determined one standard deviation increase in carnitine amount was associated with lower susceptibility (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.19-0.74, P: 4.77E-03) of COVID-19. Carnitine amount was also associated with lower severity and hospitalization of COVID-19 using another three MR methods, though the association was not significant using the IVW method but showed the same direction of effect. The results were robust under all sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: A genetic predisposition to high carnitine levels might reduce the susceptibility and severity of COVID-19. These results provide better understandings on the role of carnitine in the COVID-19 pathogenesis, and facilitate novel therapeutic targets for COVID-19 in future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Huifang Shang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Barazorda-Ccahuana HL, Nedyalkova M, Mas F, Madurga S. Unveiling the Effect of Low pH on the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:3823. [PMID: 34771379 PMCID: PMC8587287 DOI: 10.3390/polym13213823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Main Protease (Mpro) is an attractive therapeutic target that acts in the replication and transcription of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Mpro is rich in residues exposed to protonation/deprotonation changes which could affect its enzymatic function. This work aimed to explore the effect of the protonation/deprotonation states of Mpro at different pHs using computational techniques. (2) Methods: The different distribution charges were obtained in all the evaluated pHs by the Semi-Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (SGCMC) method. A set of Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations was performed to consider the different protonation/deprotonation during 250 ns, verifying the structural stability of Mpro at different pHs. (3) Results: The present findings demonstrate that active site residues and residues that allow Mpro dimerisation was not affected by pH changes. However, Mpro substrate-binding residues were altered at low pHs, allowing the increased pocket volume. Additionally, the results of the solvent distribution around Sγ, Hγ, Nδ1 and Hδ1 atoms of the catalytic residues Cys145 and His41 showed a low and high-water affinity at acidic pH, respectively. It which could be crucial in the catalytic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro at low pHs. Moreover, we analysed the docking interactions of PF-00835231 from Pfizer in the preclinical phase, which shows excellent affinity with the Mpro at different pHs. (4) Conclusion: Overall, these findings indicate that SARS-CoV-2 Mpro is highly stable at acidic pH conditions, and this inhibitor could have a desirable function at this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruna Luz Barazorda-Ccahuana
- Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, Peru
| | - Miroslava Nedyalkova
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Sofia “St. Kl. Okhridski”, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Francesc Mas
- Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Sergio Madurga
- Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
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50
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Sharma PP, Bansal M, Sethi A, Poonam, Pena L, Goel VK, Grishina M, Chaturvedi S, Kumar D, Rathi B. Computational methods directed towards drug repurposing for COVID-19: advantages and limitations. RSC Adv 2021; 11:36181-36198. [PMID: 35492747 PMCID: PMC9043418 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra05320e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly altered the socio-economic status of countries. Although vaccines are now available against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a causative agent for COVID-19, it continues to transmit and newer variants of concern have been consistently emerging world-wide. Computational strategies involving drug repurposing offer a viable opportunity to choose a medication from a rundown of affirmed drugs against distinct diseases including COVID-19. While pandemics impede the healthcare systems, drug repurposing or repositioning represents a hopeful approach in which existing drugs can be remodeled and employed to treat newer diseases. In this review, we summarize the diverse computational approaches attempted for developing drugs through drug repurposing or repositioning against COVID-19 and discuss their advantages and limitations. To this end, we have outlined studies that utilized computational techniques such as molecular docking, molecular dynamic simulation, disease-disease association, drug-drug interaction, integrated biological network, artificial intelligence, machine learning and network medicine to accelerate creation of smart and safe drugs against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prem Prakash Sharma
- Laboratory For Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi Delhi 110007 India
| | - Meenakshi Bansal
- Laboratory For Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi Delhi 110007 India
| | - Aaftaab Sethi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Hyderabad India
| | - Poonam
- Department of Chemistry, Miranda House, University of Delhi Delhi 110007 India
| | - Lindomar Pena
- Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhaes, Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) Recife 50670-420 Pernambuco Brazil
| | - Vijay Kumar Goel
- School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi 110067 India
| | - Maria Grishina
- South Ural State University, Laboratory of Computational Modelling of Drugs Pr. Lenina 76 454080 Russia
| | - Shubhra Chaturvedi
- Division of Cyclotron and Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences New Delhi 110054 India
| | - Dhruv Kumar
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh Noida 201313 India
| | - Brijesh Rathi
- Laboratory For Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi Delhi 110007 India
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