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Yu M, Shen Z, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Zhao H, Zhang L. The active components of Erzhi wan and their anti-Alzheimer's disease mechanisms determined by an integrative approach of network pharmacology, bioinformatics, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33761. [PMID: 39027618 PMCID: PMC11255520 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33761] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Erzhi Wan (EZW), a classic Traditional Chinese Medicine formula, has shown promise as a potential therapeutic option for Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet its mechanism remains elusive. Herein, we employed an integrative in-silico approach to investigate the active components and their mechanisms against AD. We screened four active components with blood-brain barrier permeabilities from TCMSP, along with 307 corresponding targets predicted by SwissTargetPrediction, PharmMapper, and TCMbank websites. Then, we retrieved 2260 AD-related targets from Genecards, OMIM, and NCBI databases. Furthermore, we constructed the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the intersected targets via the STRING database and performed the GO and KEGG enrichment analyses using the "clusterProfiler" R package. The results showed that the intersected targets were intimately related to the p53/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, serotonergic synapse, and response to oxygen level. Subsequently, 25 core targets were found differentially expressed in brain regions by bioinformatics analyses of GEO datasets of clinical samples from the Alzdata database. The binding sites and stabilities between the active components and the core targets were investigated by the molecular docking approach using Autodock 4.2.6 software, followed by pocket detection and druggability assessment via the DoGSiteScorer server. The results showed that acacetin, β-sitosterol, and 3-O-acetyldammarenediol-II strongly interacted with the druggable pockets of AR, CASP8, POLB, and PREP. Eventually, the docking results were further cross-referenced with the literature research and validated by 100 ns of molecular dynamics simulations using GROMACS software. Binding free energies were calculated via MM/PBSA strategy combined with interaction entropy. The simulation results indicated stable bindings between four docking pairs including acacetin-AR, acacetin-CASP8, β-sitosterol-POLB, and 3-O-acetyldammarenediol-II-PREP. Overall, our study demonstrated a theoretical basis for how three active components of EZW confer efficacy against AD. It provides a promising reference for subsequent research regarding drug discoveries and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Yu
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, 250355, China
| | - Zhongqi Shen
- Institute of Chinese Medical Literature and Culture, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, 250355, China
| | - Shaozhi Zhang
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, 250355, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, 250355, China
| | - Hongwei Zhao
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, 250355, China
| | - Longfei Zhang
- Experimental Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, 250355, China
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Bayarsaikhan B, Zsidó BZ, Börzsei R, Hetényi C. Efficient Refinement of Complex Structures of Flexible Histone Peptides Using Post-Docking Molecular Dynamics Protocols. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5945. [PMID: 38892133 PMCID: PMC11172440 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115945] [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: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Histones are keys to many epigenetic events and their complexes have therapeutic and diagnostic importance. The determination of the structures of histone complexes is fundamental in the design of new drugs. Computational molecular docking is widely used for the prediction of target-ligand complexes. Large, linear peptides like the tail regions of histones are challenging ligands for docking due to their large conformational flexibility, extensive hydration, and weak interactions with the shallow binding pockets of their reader proteins. Thus, fast docking methods often fail to produce complex structures of such peptide ligands at a level appropriate for drug design. To address this challenge, and improve the structural quality of the docked complexes, post-docking refinement has been applied using various molecular dynamics (MD) approaches. However, a final consensus has not been reached on the desired MD refinement protocol. In this present study, MD refinement strategies were systematically explored on a set of problematic complexes of histone peptide ligands with relatively large errors in their docked geometries. Six protocols were compared that differ in their MD simulation parameters. In all cases, pre-MD hydration of the complex interface regions was applied to avoid the unwanted presence of empty cavities. The best-performing protocol achieved a median of 32% improvement over the docked structures in terms of the change in root mean squared deviations from the experimental references. The influence of structural factors and explicit hydration on the performance of post-docking MD refinements are also discussed to help with their implementation in future methods and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bayartsetseg Bayarsaikhan
- Pharmacoinformatics Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary; (B.B.); (B.Z.Z.); (R.B.)
| | - Balázs Zoltán Zsidó
- Pharmacoinformatics Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary; (B.B.); (B.Z.Z.); (R.B.)
| | - Rita Börzsei
- Pharmacoinformatics Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary; (B.B.); (B.Z.Z.); (R.B.)
| | - Csaba Hetényi
- Pharmacoinformatics Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary; (B.B.); (B.Z.Z.); (R.B.)
- National Laboratory for Drug Research and Development, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
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Wang S, Zhao K, Chen Z, Liu D, Tang S, Sun C, Chen H, Wang Y, Wu C. Halicin: A New Horizon in Antibacterial Therapy against Veterinary Pathogens. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:492. [PMID: 38927159 PMCID: PMC11200678 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13060492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
It is crucial to discover novel antimicrobial drugs to combat resistance. This study investigated the antibacterial properties of halicin (SU3327), an AI-identified anti-diabetic drug, against 13 kinds of common clinical pathogens of animal origin, including multidrug-resistant strains. Employing minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assessments, halicin demonstrated a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect. Time-killing assays revealed its concentration-dependent bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 (E. coli ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 (S. aureus ATCC 29213), and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae S6 (APP S6) after 4 h of treatment at concentrations above the MIC. Halicin exhibited longer post-antibiotic effects (PAEs) and sub-MIC effects (PA-SMEs) for E. coli 25922, S. aureus 29213, and APP S6 compared to ceftiofur and ciprofloxacin, the commonly used veterinary antimicrobial agents, indicating sustained antibacterial action. Additionally, the results of consecutive passaging experiments over 40 d at sub-inhibitory concentrations showed that bacteria exhibited difficulty in developing resistance to halicin. Toxicology studies confirmed that halicin exhibited low acute toxicity, being non-mutagenic, non-reproductive-toxic, and non-genotoxic. Blood biochemical results suggested that halicin has no significant impact on hematological parameters, liver function, and kidney function. Furthermore, halicin effectively treated respiratory A. pleuropneumoniae infections in murine models. These results underscore the potential of halicin as a new antibacterial agent with applications against clinically relevant pathogens in veterinary medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuge Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China; (S.W.); (K.Z.); (Z.C.); (D.L.); (S.T.); (C.S.)
| | - Ke Zhao
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China; (S.W.); (K.Z.); (Z.C.); (D.L.); (S.T.); (C.S.)
| | - Ziqi Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China; (S.W.); (K.Z.); (Z.C.); (D.L.); (S.T.); (C.S.)
| | - Dejun Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China; (S.W.); (K.Z.); (Z.C.); (D.L.); (S.T.); (C.S.)
| | - Shusheng Tang
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China; (S.W.); (K.Z.); (Z.C.); (D.L.); (S.T.); (C.S.)
| | - Chengtao Sun
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China; (S.W.); (K.Z.); (Z.C.); (D.L.); (S.T.); (C.S.)
| | - Hongliang Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China;
- Xiamen Vangenes Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Xiamen 361006, China
| | - Yang Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China; (S.W.); (K.Z.); (Z.C.); (D.L.); (S.T.); (C.S.)
| | - Congming Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China; (S.W.); (K.Z.); (Z.C.); (D.L.); (S.T.); (C.S.)
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Shukla H, John D, Banerjee S, Tiwari AK. Drug repurposing for neurodegenerative diseases. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 207:249-319. [PMID: 38942541 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2024.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are neuronal problems that include the brain and spinal cord and result in loss of sensory and motor dysfunction. Common NDDs include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) etc. The occurrence of these diseases increases with age and is one of the challenging problems among elderly people. Though, several scientific research has demonstrated the key pathologies associated with NDDs still the underlying mechanisms and molecular details are not well understood and need to be explored and this poses a lack of effective treatments for NDDs. Several lines of evidence have shown that NDDs have a high prevalence and affect more than a billion individuals globally but still, researchers need to work forward in identifying the best therapeutic target for NDDs. Thus, several researchers are working in the directions to find potential therapeutic targets to alter the disease pathology and treat the diseases. Several steps have been taken to identify the early detection of the disease and drug repurposing for effective treatment of NDDs. Moreover, it is logical that current medications are being evaluated for their efficacy in treating such disorders; therefore, drug repurposing would be an efficient, safe, and cost-effective way in finding out better medication. In the current manuscript we discussed the utilization of drugs that have been repurposed for the treatment of AD, PD, HD, MS, and ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halak Shukla
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Diana John
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Shuvomoy Banerjee
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Anand Krishna Tiwari
- Genetics and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
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Alwadani FAS, Lone A, Hakami MT, Moria AH, Alamer W, Alghirash RA, Alnawah AK, Hadadi AS. Attitude and Understanding of Artificial Intelligence Among Saudi Medical Students: An Online Cross-Sectional Study. J Multidiscip Healthc 2024; 17:1887-1899. [PMID: 38706506 PMCID: PMC11068042 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s455260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Artificial Intelligence is drastically used nowadays in healthcare, but little is known about the attitude and perception of medical students towards AI in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to explore undergraduate medical student's views on AI, assessed their understanding of AI, and the level of confidence of using basic AI tools in the future. Methods This cross-sectional study invited 303 medical undergraduate students to complete an anonymous electronic survey, which consists of questions related to attitude, understanding and confidence of using basic AI tools. We examined the statistical association between the categorical variables by using Chi-square test. Results The results of the study indicate that eighty-seven percent of participants believed that AI will play significant role in healthcare. Thirty-eight percent respondents reported that they have an understanding of the basic computational principle of AI. 71.29% respondents agreed that teaching in AI would be favorable for their career. More than half of the participants were confident in using basic AI tools in the future, Male students (p = 0.00), 26-30 years old participants (p = 0.03), intern students (p = 0.00), and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University medical students (p = 0.04) had positive attitude of artificial intelligence. Male participants (p = 0.02), and intern students (p = 0.00) had the highest proportion of confidence in using basic healthcare AI tool. Nearly 14% students received training on AI. Participants who received training on AI reported better understanding of AI (p = 0.03), develops positive attitude towards teaching in AI (p = 0.05), more confidence in using basic healthcare AI tools (p = 0.05). Conclusion Saudi medical undergraduate students understand the significance of AI and demonstrated a positive attitude towards AI. Medical students training on AI should be expanded and improved to avoid threats for seeking jobs by adapting artificial intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ayoob Lone
- Clinical Neurosciences Department, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, AlHasa, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Walaa Alamer
- College of Medicine, King Faisal University, AlHasa, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Abdulaziz Shary Hadadi
- Clinical Neurosciences Department, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, AlHasa, Saudi Arabia
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Yang W, Wang Y, Han D, Tang W, Sun L. Recent advances in application of computer-aided drug design in anti-COVID-19 Virials Drug Discovery. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 173:116423. [PMID: 38493593 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116423] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic epidemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which poses a serious threat to human health worldwide and results in significant economic losses. With the continuous emergence of new virus strains, small molecule drugs remain the most effective treatment for COVID-19. The traditional drug development process usually requires several years; however, the development of computer-aided drug design (CADD) offers the opportunity to develop innovative drugs quickly and efficiently. The literature review describes the general process of CADD, the viral proteins that play essential roles in the life cycle of SARS-CoV-2 and can serve as therapeutic targets, and examples of drug screening of viral target proteins by applying CADD methods. Finally, the potential of CADD in COVID-19 therapy, the deficiency, and the possible future development direction are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiying Yang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Ye Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Dongfeng Han
- Department of Emergency Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Wenjing Tang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Lichao Sun
- Department of Emergency Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
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Singh K, Bhushan B, Singh B. Advances in Drug Discovery and Design using Computer-aided Molecular Modeling. Curr Comput Aided Drug Des 2024; 20:697-710. [PMID: 37711101 DOI: 10.2174/1573409920666230914123005] [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: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Computer-aided molecular modeling is a rapidly emerging technology that is being used to accelerate the discovery and design of new drug therapies. It involves the use of computer algorithms and 3D structures of molecules to predict interactions between molecules and their behavior in the body. This has drastically improved the speed and accuracy of drug discovery and design. Additionally, computer-aided molecular modeling has the potential to reduce costs, increase the quality of data, and identify promising targets for drug development. Through the use of sophisticated methods, such as virtual screening, molecular docking, pharmacophore modeling, and quantitative structure-activity relationships, scientists can achieve higher levels of efficacy and safety for new drugs. Moreover, it can be used to understand the activity of known drugs and simplify the process of formulating, optimizing, and predicting the pharmacokinetics of new and existing drugs. In conclusion, computer-aided molecular modeling is an effective tool to rapidly progress drug discovery and design by predicting the interactions between molecules and anticipating the behavior of new drugs in the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuldeep Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, Rajiv Academy for Pharmacy, Mathura Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Bharat Bhushan
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, GLA University, Mathura Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Bhoopendra Singh
- Department of Pharmacy, B.S.A. College of Engineering & Technology, Mathura Uttar Pradesh India
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Li B, Wang Y, Yin Z, Xu L, Xie L, Xu X. Decision tree-based identification of important molecular fragments for protein-ligand binding. Chem Biol Drug Des 2024; 103:e14427. [PMID: 38230776 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14427] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Fragment-based drug design is an emerging technology in pharmaceutical research and development. One of the key aspects of this technology is the identification and quantitative characterization of molecular fragments. This study presents a strategy for identifying important molecular fragments based on molecular fingerprints and decision tree algorithms and verifies its feasibility in predicting protein-ligand binding affinity. Specifically, the three-dimensional (3D) structures of protein-ligand complexes are encoded using extended-connectivity fingerprints (ECFP), and three decision tree models, namely Random Forest, XGBoost, and LightGBM, are used to quantitatively characterize the feature importance, thereby extracting important molecular fragments with high reliability. Few-shot learning reveals that the extracted molecular fragments contribute significantly and consistently to the binding affinity even with a small sample size. Despite the absence of location and distance information for molecular fragments in ECFP, 3D visualization, in combination with the reverse ECFP process, shows that the majority of the extracted fragments are located at the binding interface of the protein and the ligand. This alignment with the distance constraints critical for binding affinity further supports the reliability of the strategy for identifying important molecular fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baiyi Li
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - Yunsong Wang
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - Zuode Yin
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - Liangxu Xie
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - Xiaojun Xu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
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Skariyachan S, Kalavathi Murugan K, Parikesit AA. Editorial: Computational drug discovery for emerging viral infections. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1326731. [PMID: 38053555 PMCID: PMC10694435 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1326731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sinosh Skariyachan
- Department of Microbiology, St. Pius X College Rajapuram, Kasaragod, Kerala, India
| | | | - Arli Aditya Parikesit
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Indonesia International Institute for Life-Sciences (i3L), Jakarta, Indonesia
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Binet T, Padiolleau-Lefèvre S, Octave S, Avalle B, Maffucci I. Comparative Study of Single-stranded Oligonucleotides Secondary Structure Prediction Tools. BMC Bioinformatics 2023; 24:422. [PMID: 37940855 PMCID: PMC10634105 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-023-05532-5] [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: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Single-stranded nucleic acids (ssNAs) have important biological roles and a high biotechnological potential linked to their ability to bind to numerous molecular targets. This depends on the different spatial conformations they can assume. The first level of ssNAs spatial organisation corresponds to their base pairs pattern, i.e. their secondary structure. Many computational tools have been developed to predict the ssNAs secondary structures, making the choice of the appropriate tool difficult, and an up-to-date guide on the limits and applicability of current secondary structure prediction tools is missing. Therefore, we performed a comparative study of the performances of 9 freely available tools (mfold, RNAfold, CentroidFold, CONTRAfold, MC-Fold, LinearFold, UFold, SPOT-RNA, and MXfold2) on a dataset of 538 ssNAs with known experimental secondary structure. RESULTS The minimum free energy-based tools, namely mfold and RNAfold, and some tools based on artificial intelligence, namely CONTRAfold and MXfold2, provided the best results, with [Formula: see text] of exact predictions, whilst MC-fold seemed to be the worst performing tool, with only [Formula: see text] of exact predictions. In addition, UFold and SPOT-RNA are the only options for pseudoknots prediction. Including in the analysis of mfold and RNAfold results 5-10 suboptimal solutions further improved the performances of these tools. Nevertheless, we could observe issues in predicting particular motifs, such as multiple-ways junctions and mini-dumbbells, or the ssNAs whose structure has been determined in complex with a protein. In addition, our benchmark shows that some effort has to be paid for ssDNA secondary structure predictions. CONCLUSIONS In general, Mfold, RNAfold, and MXfold2 seem to currently be the best choice for the ssNAs secondary structure prediction, although they still show some limits linked to specific structural motifs. Nevertheless, actual trends suggest that artificial intelligence has a high potential to overcome these remaining issues, for example the recently developed UFold and SPOT-RNA have a high success rate in predicting pseudoknots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Binet
- Université de technologie de Compiègne, UPJV, CNRS, Enzyme and Cell Engineering, Centre de recherche Royallieu - CS 60 319, 60203, Compiègne Cedex, France
| | - Séverine Padiolleau-Lefèvre
- Université de technologie de Compiègne, UPJV, CNRS, Enzyme and Cell Engineering, Centre de recherche Royallieu - CS 60 319, 60203, Compiègne Cedex, France
| | - Stéphane Octave
- Université de technologie de Compiègne, UPJV, CNRS, Enzyme and Cell Engineering, Centre de recherche Royallieu - CS 60 319, 60203, Compiègne Cedex, France
| | - Bérangère Avalle
- Université de technologie de Compiègne, UPJV, CNRS, Enzyme and Cell Engineering, Centre de recherche Royallieu - CS 60 319, 60203, Compiègne Cedex, France.
| | - Irene Maffucci
- Université de technologie de Compiègne, UPJV, CNRS, Enzyme and Cell Engineering, Centre de recherche Royallieu - CS 60 319, 60203, Compiègne Cedex, France.
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Al Hadithy ZA, Al Lawati A, Al-Zadjali R, Al Sinawi H. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Among Medical Students at Sultan Qaboos University. Cureus 2023; 15:e44887. [PMID: 37814766 PMCID: PMC10560391 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.44887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in healthcare, but more data are needed about the knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and preparedness of medical students in Oman towards this technology. This study aimed to investigate these aspects among clinical-year medical students at Sultan Qaboos University. Methodology A web-based validated exploratory questionnaire adapted from a study conducted at the University of Toronto was distributed to all clinical year (phase III) medical students at Sultan Qaboos University. The questionnaire collected demographic and background information, tested students' knowledge of AI, and assessed their perceptions and attitudes toward it. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results A total of 221 out of 368 clinical-year medical students (60%) completed the survey. Most respondents were in their junior clerkship year (n = 94, 42.5%). Most students (n = 167, 75.4%) had no prior exposure to AI in healthcare, with a median knowledge score of 3.25 out of 5 in AI, and showed no improvement over the years. However, they overall had positive perceptions and attitudes towards AI. Students also had concerns about the impact of AI on employment prospects and ethical issues but were generally receptive to incorporating AI into medical school curricula, as 174 students (78.7%) believed every medical trainee should receive training on AI competencies. Conclusion This study provides valuable insights into the knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and preparedness of medical students in Oman toward AI in healthcare. Medical educators in Oman should consider incorporating AI into medical school curricula to prepare future physicians for using this technology in healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zinah A Al Hadithy
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, OMN
| | - Abdullah Al Lawati
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, OMN
| | - Riham Al-Zadjali
- General Practice, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, OMN
| | - Hamed Al Sinawi
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, OMN
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12
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Wang T, He X, Li M, Shao B, Liu TY. AIMD-Chig: Exploring the conformational space of a 166-atom protein Chignolin with ab initio molecular dynamics. Sci Data 2023; 10:549. [PMID: 37607915 PMCID: PMC10444755 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02465-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have revolutionized the modeling of biomolecular conformations and provided unprecedented insight into molecular interactions. Due to the prohibitive computational overheads of ab initio simulation for large biomolecules, dynamic modeling for proteins is generally constrained on force field with molecular mechanics, which suffers from low accuracy as well as ignores the electronic effects. Here, we report AIMD-Chig, an MD dataset including 2 million conformations of 166-atom protein Chignolin sampled at the density functional theory (DFT) level with 7,763,146 CPU hours. 10,000 conformations were initialized covering the whole conformational space of Chignolin, including folded, unfolded, and metastable states. Ab initio simulations were driven by M06-2X/6-31 G* with a Berendsen thermostat at 340 K. We reported coordinates, energies, and forces for each conformation. AIMD-Chig brings the DFT level conformational space exploration from small organic molecules to real-world proteins. It can serve as the benchmark for developing machine learning potentials for proteins and facilitate the exploration of protein dynamics with ab initio accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Wang
- Microsoft Research AI4Science, Beijing, China.
| | - Xinheng He
- Microsoft Research AI4Science, Beijing, China
- Work done during an internship at Microsoft Research AI4Science, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research and, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingyu Li
- Microsoft Research AI4Science, Beijing, China
- Work done during an internship at Microsoft Research AI4Science, Beijing, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Shao
- Microsoft Research AI4Science, Beijing, China.
| | - Tie-Yan Liu
- Microsoft Research AI4Science, Beijing, China
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Viral proteases as therapeutic targets. Mol Aspects Med 2022; 88:101159. [PMID: 36459838 PMCID: PMC9706241 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2022.101159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Some medically important viruses-including retroviruses, flaviviruses, coronaviruses, and herpesviruses-code for a protease, which is indispensable for viral maturation and pathogenesis. Viral protease inhibitors have become an important class of antiviral drugs. Development of the first-in-class viral protease inhibitor saquinavir, which targets HIV protease, started a new era in the treatment of chronic viral diseases. Combining several drugs that target different steps of the viral life cycle enables use of lower doses of individual drugs (and thereby reduction of potential side effects, which frequently occur during long term therapy) and reduces drug-resistance development. Currently, several HIV and HCV protease inhibitors are routinely used in clinical practice. In addition, a drug including an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 main protease, nirmatrelvir (co-administered with a pharmacokinetic booster ritonavir as Paxlovid®), was recently authorized for emergency use. This review summarizes the basic features of the proteases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and SARS-CoV-2 and discusses the properties of their inhibitors in clinical use, as well as development of compounds in the pipeline.
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