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Janin YL. On the origins of SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:81-118. [PMID: 38283212 PMCID: PMC10809347 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00493g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
In order to address the world-wide health challenge caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 3CL protease/SARS-CoV-2 main protease (SARS-CoV-2-Mpro) coded by its nsp5 gene became one of the biochemical targets for the design of antiviral drugs. In less than 3 years of research, 4 inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2-Mpro have actually been authorized for COVID-19 treatment (nirmatrelvir, ensitrelvir, leritrelvir and simnotrelvir) and more such as EDP-235, FB-2001 and STI-1558/Olgotrelvir or five undisclosed compounds (CDI-988, ASC11, ALG-097558, QLS1128 and H-10517) are undergoing clinical trials. This review is an attempt to picture this quite unprecedented medicinal chemistry feat and provide insights on how these cysteine protease inhibitors were discovered. Since many series of covalent SARS-CoV-2-Mpro inhibitors owe some of their origins to previous work on other proteases, we first provided a description of various inhibitors of cysteine-bearing human caspase-1 or cathepsin K, as well as inhibitors of serine proteases such as human dipeptidyl peptidase-4 or the hepatitis C protein complex NS3/4A. This is then followed by a description of the results of the approaches adopted (repurposing, structure-based and high throughput screening) to discover coronavirus main protease inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves L Janin
- Structure et Instabilité des Génomes (StrInG), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, INSERM, CNRS, Alliance Sorbonne Université 75005 Paris France
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2
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Vijay Gone N, Ghalib Enayathullah M, Thomas J, Rathee P, Prabhakar R, Kumar Bokara K, Sanjayan GJ. Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors Featuring Novel Histidine α-Nitrile Motif. Chem Biodivers 2023; 20:e202300957. [PMID: 37888938 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202300957] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
As COVID-19 infection caused severe public health concerns recently, the development of novel antivirals has become the need of the hour. Main protease (Mpro ) has been an attractive target for antiviral drugs since it plays a vital role in polyprotein processing and virus maturation. Herein we report the discovery of a novel class of inhibitors against the SARS-CoV-2, bearing histidine α-nitrile motif embedded on a simple dipeptide framework. In-vitro and in-silico studies revealed that the histidine α-nitrile motif envisioned to target the Mpro contributes to the inhibitory activity. Among a series of dipeptides synthesized featuring this novel structural motif, some dipeptides displayed strong viral reduction (EC50 =0.48 μM) with a high selectivity index, SI>454.54. These compounds also exhibit strong binding energies in the range of -28.7 to -34.2 Kcal/mol. The simple dipeptide structural framework, amenable to quick structural variations, coupled with ease of synthesis from readily available commercial starting materials are the major attractive features of this novel class of SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. The histidine α-nitrile dipeptides raise the hope of discovering potent drug candidates based on this motif to fight the dreaded SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilu Vijay Gone
- Organic Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Mohammed Ghalib Enayathullah
- Annexe-II, Medical Biotechnology Complex, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Jessie Thomas
- Annexe-II, Medical Biotechnology Complex, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Parth Rathee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Rajeev Prabhakar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Kiran Kumar Bokara
- Annexe-II, Medical Biotechnology Complex, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India
| | - Gangadhar J Sanjayan
- Organic Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
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3
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Potential Inhibitors of Monkeypox Virus Revealed by Molecular Modeling Approach to Viral DNA Topoisomerase I. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031444. [PMID: 36771105 PMCID: PMC9919579 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The monkeypox outbreak has become a global public health emergency. The lack of valid and safe medicine is a crucial obstacle hindering the extermination of orthopoxvirus infections. The identification of potential inhibitors from natural products, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), by molecular modeling could expand the arsenal of antiviral chemotherapeutic agents. Monkeypox DNA topoisomerase I (TOP1) is a highly conserved viral DNA repair enzyme with a small size and low homology to human proteins. The protein model of viral DNA TOP1 was obtained by homology modeling. The reliability of the TOP1 model was validated by analyzing its Ramachandran plot and by determining the compatibility of the 3D model with its sequence using the Verify 3D and PROCHECK services. In order to identify potential inhibitors of TOP1, an integrated library of 4103 natural products was screened via Glide docking. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) was further implemented to assay the complex binding affinity. Molecular dynamics simulations (100 ns) were combined with molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA) computations to reveal the binding mechanisms of the complex. As a result, three natural compounds were highlighted as potential inhibitors via docking-based virtual screening. Rosmarinic acid, myricitrin, quercitrin, and ofloxacin can bind TOP1 with KD values of 2.16 μM, 3.54 μM, 4.77 μM, and 5.46 μM, respectively, indicating a good inhibitory effect against MPXV. The MM/PBSA calculations revealed that rosmarinic acid had the lowest binding free energy at -16.18 kcal/mol. Myricitrin had a binding free energy of -13.87 kcal/mol, quercitrin had a binding free energy of -9.40 kcal/mol, and ofloxacin had a binding free energy of -9.64 kcal/mol. The outputs (RMSD/RMSF/Rg/SASA) also indicated that the systems were well-behaved towards the complex. The selected compounds formed several key hydrogen bonds with TOP1 residues (TYR274, LYS167, GLY132, LYS133, etc.) via the binding mode analysis. TYR274 was predicted to be a pivotal residue for compound interactions in the binding pocket of TOP1. The results of the enrichment analyses illustrated the potential pharmacological networks of rosmarinic acid. The molecular modeling approach may be acceptable for the identification and design of novel poxvirus inhibitors; however, further studies are warranted to evaluate their therapeutic potential.
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Ghosh S, Bhattacherjee D, Satpati P, Bhabak KP. Venetoclax: a promising repurposed drug against SARS-CoV-2 main protease. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:12088-12099. [PMID: 34424151 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1967786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Global health care emergency caused by a new coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2) demands urgent need to repurpose the approved pharmaceutical drugs. Main protease, Mpro of SARS-CoV-2 draws significant attention as a drug target. Herein, we have screened FDA approved organosulfur drugs (till 2016) and our laboratory synthesized organosulfur and organoselenium compounds (L1-L306) against Mpro-apo using docking followed by classical MD simulations. Additionally, a series of compounds (L307-L364) were chosen from previous experimental studies, which were reported to exhibit inhibitory potentials towards Mpro. We found several organosulfur drugs, particularly Venetoclax (FDA approved organosulfur drug for Leukemia) to be a high-affinity binders to the Mpro of SARS-CoV-2. The results reveal that organosulfur compounds including Venetoclax preferentially bind (non-covalently) to the non-catalytic pocket of the protein located in the dimer interface. We found that the ligand binding is primarily favoured by ligand-protein van der Waals interaction and penalized by desolvation effect. Interestingly, Venetoclax binding alters the local flexibility of Mpro and exerts pronounced effect in the C-terminal as well as two loop regions (Loop-A and Loop-B) that play important roles in catalysis. These findings highlighted the importance of drug repurposing and explored the non-catalytic pockets of Mpro in combating COVID-19 infection in addition to the importance of catalytic binding pocket of the protein.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvankar Ghosh
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India
| | - Debojit Bhattacherjee
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India.,Centre for the Environment, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India
| | - Priyadarshi Satpati
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India
| | - Krishna Pada Bhabak
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India.,Centre for the Environment, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India
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Makati AC, Ananda AN, Putri JA, Amellia SF, Setiawan B. Molecular docking of ethanol extracts of katuk leaf ( Sauropus androgynus) on functional proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN ASSOCIATION OF BOTANISTS = SUID-AFRIKAANSE TYDSKRIF VIR PLANTKUNDE : AMPTELIKE TYDSKRIF VAN DIE SUID-AFRIKAANSE GENOOTSKAP VAN PLANTKUNDIGES 2022; 149:1-5. [PMID: 35668920 PMCID: PMC9158454 DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2022.04.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has become a major health crisis globally. Alternative treatment approaches include using food sources rich in flavonoid compounds, such as the leaves of katuk plant (Sauropus androgynus). The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of the flavonoid group present in active compounds of katuk leaves (Sauropus androgynus) and to study the mechanism underlying interactions (molecular docking) of these compounds with 3CLpro, Nsp1, Nsp3, RdRp, Nsp7_Nsp8 complex, and PLpro in SARS-CoV-2, and ACE2 in humans. In silico analysis was performed using Hex 8.0. software, which is primary tool of docking analysis. Interaction between the ligand and its receptors were analyzed using the software Discovery studio 4.1. The results of this study indicated that ABCD chains of 3CLpro had the highest bond energy with afzelin (-42.77 Kcal/mol), RdRp Nsp7_Nsp8 complex had the highest bond energy with trifolin (-310.87 Kcal/mol), PLpro had the highest bond energy with afzelin (-190.23 Kcal/mol), Nsp1 had the highest bond energy with afzelin (-286.89 Kcal/mol), Nsp3 had the highest bond energy with trifolin (-334.97 Kcal/mol), and ACE2 had the highest bond energy with trifolin (-307.96 Kcal/mol). Thus, on comparison with conventionally used drugs, the active flavonoid compounds in katuk leaves (Sauropus androgynus) showed specific affinity for 3CLpro, Nsp1, Nsp3, RdRp Nsp7_Nsp8 complex, and PLpro in SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 in humans. Thus, katuk leaves a potential herbal candidates to derive new drugs or complementary medicines for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annisa Camellia Makati
- Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Aghnia Nabila Ananda
- Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Jasmine Aisyah Putri
- Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Siti Feritasia Amellia
- Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Bambang Setiawan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia
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Firouzi R, Ashouri M, Karimi‐Jafari MH. Structural insights into the substrate‐binding site of main protease for the structure‐based COVID‐19 drug discovery. Proteins 2022; 90:1090-1101. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.26318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rohoullah Firouzi
- Department of Physical Chemistry Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran Tehran Iran
| | - Mitra Ashouri
- Department of Physical Chemistry, School of Chemistry, College of Science University of Tehran Tehran Iran
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Smith JL, Madrigal Harrison I, Bingman C, Buller AR. Investigation of β-substitution activity of O-acetylserine sulfhydrolase from Citrullus vulgaris. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200157. [PMID: 35476889 PMCID: PMC9401013 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200157] [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: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Pyridoxal‐5’‐phosphate (PLP)‐dependent enzymes have garnered interest for their ability to synthesize non‐standard amino acids (nsAAs). One such class of enzymes, O‐acetylserine sulfhydrylases (OASSs), catalyzes the final step in the biosynthesis of l‐cysteine. Here, we examine the β‐substitution capability of the OASS from Citrullus vulgaris (CvOASS), a putative l‐mimosine synthase. While the previously reported mimosine synthase activity was not reproducible in our hands, we successfully identified non‐native reactivity with a variety of O‐nucleophiles. Optimization of reaction conditions for carboxylate and phenolate substrates led to distinct conditions that were leveraged for the preparative‐scale synthesis of nsAAs. We further show this enzyme is capable of C−C bond formation through a β‐alkylation reaction with an activated nitroalkane. To facilitate understanding of this enzyme, we determined the crystal structure of the enzyme bound to PLP as the internal aldimine at 1.55 Å, revealing key features of the active site and providing information that may guide subsequent development of CvOASS as a practical biocatalyst.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Craig Bingman
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Biochemistry, UNITED STATES
| | - Andrew Richard Buller
- University of Wisconsin Madison, Chemistry, 1101 University Ave, 53706, Madison, UNITED STATES
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Brogi S, Ibba R, Rossi S, Butini S, Calderone V, Gemma S, Campiani G. Covalent Reversible Inhibitors of Cysteine Proteases Containing the Nitrile Warhead: Recent Advancement in the Field of Viral and Parasitic Diseases. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27082561. [PMID: 35458759 PMCID: PMC9029279 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27082561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In the field of drug discovery, the nitrile group is well represented among drugs and biologically active compounds. It can form both non-covalent and covalent interactions with diverse biological targets, and it is amenable as an electrophilic warhead for covalent inhibition. The main advantage of the nitrile group as a warhead is mainly due to its milder electrophilic character relative to other more reactive groups (e.g., -CHO), reducing the possibility of unwanted reactions that would hinder the development of safe drugs, coupled to the ease of installation through different synthetic approaches. The covalent inhibition is a well-assessed design approach for serine, threonine, and cysteine protease inhibitors. The mechanism of hydrolysis of these enzymes involves the formation of a covalent acyl intermediate, and this mechanism can be exploited by introducing electrophilic warheads in order to mimic this covalent intermediate. Due to the relevant role played by the cysteine protease in the survival and replication of infective agents, spanning from viruses to protozoan parasites, we will review the most relevant and recent examples of protease inhibitors presenting a nitrile group that have been introduced to form or to facilitate the formation of a covalent bond with the catalytic cysteine active site residue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Brogi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.B.); (V.C.)
| | - Roberta Ibba
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (R.I.); (S.R.); (S.B.); (G.C.)
| | - Sara Rossi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (R.I.); (S.R.); (S.B.); (G.C.)
| | - Stefania Butini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (R.I.); (S.R.); (S.B.); (G.C.)
| | - Vincenzo Calderone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.B.); (V.C.)
| | - Sandra Gemma
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (R.I.); (S.R.); (S.B.); (G.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Giuseppe Campiani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; (R.I.); (S.R.); (S.B.); (G.C.)
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Ničkčović VP, Nikolić GR, Nedeljković BM, Mitić N, Danić SF, Mitić J, Marčetić Z, Sokolović D, Veselinović AM. In silico approach for the development of novel antiviral compounds based on SARS-COV-2 protease inhibition. CHEMICAL PAPERS 2022; 76:4393-4404. [PMID: 35400796 PMCID: PMC8977062 DOI: 10.1007/s11696-022-02170-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Zhu J, Zhang H, Lin Q, Lyu J, Lu L, Chen H, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Chen K. Progress on SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro Inhibitors: Inspiration from SARS-CoV 3CLpro Peptidomimetics and Small-Molecule Anti-Inflammatory Compounds. Drug Des Devel Ther 2022; 16:1067-1082. [PMID: 35450403 PMCID: PMC9015912 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s359009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) currently poses a threat to human health. 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro) plays an important role in the viral life cycle. Hence, it is considered an attractive antiviral target protein. Whole-genome sequencing showed that the sequence homology between SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro and SARS-CoV 3CLpro is 96.08%, with high similarity in the substrate-binding region. Thus, assessing peptidomimetic inhibitors of SARS-CoV 3CLpro could accelerate the development of peptidomimetic inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. Accordingly, we herein discuss progress on SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro peptidomimetic inhibitors. Inflammation plays a major role in the pathophysiological process of COVID-19. Small-molecule compounds targeting 3CLpro with both antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects are also briefly discussed in this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajie Zhu
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haiyan Zhang
- Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qinghong Lin
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingting Lyu
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lu Lu
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hanxi Chen
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuning Zhang
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Keda Chen
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Keda Chen, Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8615068129828, Email ; Yanjun Zhang, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613858115856, Fax +86057188280783, Email
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Antiviral effects of azithromycin: A narrative review. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 147:112682. [PMID: 35131658 PMCID: PMC8813546 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral infections have a great impact on human health. The urgent need to find a cure against different viruses led us to investigations in a vast range of drugs. Azithromycin (AZT), classified as a macrolide, showed various effects on different known viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Zika, Ebola, Enterovirus (EVs) and Rhinoviruses (RVs), and Influenza A previously; namely, these viruses, which caused global concerns, are considered as targets for AZT different actions. Due to AZT background in the treatment of known viral infections mentioned above (which is described in this study), in the early stages of COVID-19 (a new zoonotic disease caused by a novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)) development, AZT drew attention to itself due to its antiviral and immunomodulatory effects as a valuable candidate for COVID-19 treatment. AZT usage instructions for treating different viral infections have always been under observation, and COVID-19 is no exception. There are still debates about the use of AZT in COVID-19 treatment. However, eventually, novel researches convinced WHO to announce the discontinuation of AZT use (alone or in combination with hydroxychloroquine) in treating SARS-CoV-2 infection. This research aims to study the structure of all of the viruses mentioned above and the molecular and clinical effects of AZT against the virus.
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Adhikari N, Banerjee S, Baidya SK, Ghosh B, Jha T. Ligand-based quantitative structural assessments of SARS-CoV-2 3CL pro inhibitors: An analysis in light of structure-based multi-molecular modeling evidences. J Mol Struct 2021; 1251:132041. [PMID: 34866654 PMCID: PMC8627846 DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.132041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Due to COVID-19, the whole world is undergoing a devastating situation, but treatment with no such drug candidates still has been established exclusively. In that context, 69 diverse chemicals with potential SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitory property were taken into consideration for building different internally and externally validated linear (SW-MLR and GA-MLR), non-linear (ANN and SVM) QSAR, and HQSAR models to identify important structural and physicochemical characters required for SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibition. Importantly, 2-oxopyrrolidinyl methyl and benzylester functions, and methylene (hydroxy) sulphonic acid warhead group, were crucial for retaining higher SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibition. These GA-MLR and HQSAR models were also applied to predict some already repurposed drugs. As per the GA-MLR model, curcumin, ribavirin, saquinavir, sepimostat, and remdesivir were found to be the potent ones, whereas according to the HQSAR model, lurasidone, saquinavir, lopinavir, elbasvir, and paritaprevir were the highly effective SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors. The binding modes of those repurposed drugs were also justified by the molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and binding energy calculations conducted by several groups of researchers. This current work, therefore, may be able to find out important structural parameters to accelerate the COVID-19 drug discovery processes in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilanjan Adhikari
- Natural Science Laboratory, Division of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Suvankar Banerjee
- Natural Science Laboratory, Division of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Sandip Kumar Baidya
- Natural Science Laboratory, Division of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Balaram Ghosh
- Epigenetic Research Laboratory, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-Pilani Hyderabad Campus, Shamirpet, Hyderabad, India, 500078
| | - Tarun Jha
- Natural Science Laboratory, Division of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India
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Hepatitis C Virus Protease Inhibitors Show Differential Efficacy and Interactions with Remdesivir for Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 In Vitro. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:e0268020. [PMID: 34097489 PMCID: PMC8370243 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02680-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Antivirals targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could improve treatment of COVID-19. We evaluated the efficacy of clinically relevant hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease inhibitors (PIs) against SARS-CoV-2 and their interactions with remdesivir, the only direct-acting antiviral approved for COVID-19 treatment. HCV PIs showed differential potency in short-term treatment assays based on the detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in Vero E6 cells. Linear PIs boceprevir, telaprevir, and narlaprevir had 50% effective concentrations (EC50) of ∼40 μM. Among the macrocyclic PIs, simeprevir had the highest (EC50, 15 μM) and glecaprevir the lowest (EC50, >178 μM) potency, with paritaprevir, grazoprevir, voxilaprevir, vaniprevir, danoprevir, and deldeprevir in between. Acyclic PIs asunaprevir and faldaprevir had EC50s of 72 and 23 μM, respectively. ACH-806, inhibiting the HCV NS4A protease cofactor, had an EC50 of 46 μM. Similar and slightly increased PI potencies were found in human hepatoma Huh7.5 cells and human lung carcinoma A549-hACE2 cells, respectively. Selectivity indexes based on antiviral and cell viability assays were highest for linear PIs. In short-term treatments, combination of macrocyclic but not linear PIs with remdesivir showed synergism in Vero E6 and A549-hACE2 cells. Longer-term treatment of infected Vero E6 and A549-hACE2 cells with 1-fold EC50 PI revealed minor differences in the barrier to SARS-CoV-2 escape. Viral suppression was achieved with 3- to 8-fold EC50 boceprevir or 1-fold EC50 simeprevir or grazoprevir, but not boceprevir, in combination with 0.4- to 0.8-fold EC50 remdesivir; these concentrations did not lead to viral suppression in single treatments. This study could inform the development and application of protease inhibitors for optimized antiviral treatments of COVID-19.
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Chandel V, Tripathi G, Nayar SA, Rathi B, Kumar A, Kumar D. In silico identification and validation of triarylchromones as potential inhibitor against main protease of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2021; 40:8850-8865. [PMID: 33939590 PMCID: PMC8108196 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1918255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The ongoing pandemic due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused COVID-19 has emerged as a severe threat to the life of human kind. The identification and designing of appropriate and reliable drug molecule for the treatment of COVID-19 patients is the pressing need of the present time. Among different drug targets, the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 is being considered as most effective target. In addition to the drug repurposing, different compounds of natural as well as synthetic origins are being investigated for their efficacy against different drug targets of SARS-CoV-2 virus. In that context, the chromone based natural flavonols have also exhibited significant antiviral properties against different targets of SARS-CoV-2. The in silico studies presented here discloses the efficacy of triarylchromones (TAC) as potential inhibitor against main protease of SARS-CoV-2. The molecular docking and ADMET study performed using 14 arylchromones which could easily be accessed through simple synthetic protocols, revealed best binding affinities in case of TAC-3 (-11.2 kcal/mol), TAC-4 (-10.5 kcal/mol), TAC-6 (-11.2 kcal/mol), TAC-7 (-10.0 kcal/mol). Additional validation studies including molecular dynamics simulation and binding energy calculation using MMGBSA for protein ligand complex for 100 ns revealed the best binding interaction of TAC-3, TAC-4, TAC-6, TAC-7 against main protease of SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, the in vitro and preclinical validation of identified compounds will help us to understand the molecular mechanisms of regulation of TACs against SARS-CoV-2.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishali Chandel
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida201313, India
| | - Garima Tripathi
- Department of Chemistry, T. N. B. College, TMBU, Bhgalpur, Bihar, India
| | - Seema A. Nayar
- Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Trivandrum, India
- Department of Microbiology, Sree Gokulam Medical College, Trivandrum, India
| | - Brijesh Rathi
- Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Abhijeet Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Mahatma Gandhi Central UniversityMotihari845401, India
| | - Dhruv Kumar
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida201313, India
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Akaji K. [Studies on Functional Molecules Based on Peptide Chemistry]. YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 2021; 141:215-233. [PMID: 33518643 DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.20-00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Studies on functional molecules starting from syntheses of cysteine-containing peptides and protein are described. Starting from evaluation of a cysteine specific side-reaction, a specific reaction for disulfide-bond formation was developed. The reaction made it possible to independently construct a disulfide bridge without effecting the existing disulfide bonds, which resulted in a unique approach for the synthesis of human insulin by site-specific disulfide bond formation. In a series of studies on sulfur-containing amino acids, another cysteine related un-natural amino acid, α-methyl cysteine, was used for the total syntheses of natural products containing a unique thiazorine/thiazole ring system. Chloroimidazolidium coupling reagent developed by us was effective for the successive couplings of the α-methyl cysteine residues. Based on these synthetic studies, design and evaluation of protease inhibitors were then studied, since a stereo-specific synthesis of the key structure is crucial to make the inhibitor an effective functional molecule in the interactions with its target protease. As the target proteases, β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and chymotrypsin-like protease of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS 3CL protease) were selected: the former is a crucial enzyme for amyloid β production and the latter is an essential enzyme for the re-construction of SARS corona virus in host cells. Structure optimization procedure of the respective inhibitors are described based on X-ray crystal structure analyses of the inhibitor-protease complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Akaji
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University
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Swain SS, Panda SK, Luyten W. Phytochemicals against SARS-CoV as potential drug leads. Biomed J 2020; 44:74-85. [PMID: 33736953 PMCID: PMC7726715 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 strains from the coronavirus (CoV) family is causing one of the most disruptive pandemics of the past century. Developing antiviral drugs is a challenge for the scientific community and pharmaceutical industry. Given the health emergency, repurposing of existing antiviral, antiinflammatory or antimalarial drugs is an attractive option for controlling SARS-CoV-2 with drugs. However, phytochemicals selected based on ethnomedicinal information as well as in vitro antiviral studies could be promising as well. Here, we summarise the phytochemicals with reported anti-CoV activity, and further analyzed them computationally to accelerate validation for drug development against SARS-CoV-2. This systematic review started from the most potent phytocompounds (IC50 in μM) against SARS-CoV, followed by a cluster analysis to locate the most suitable lead(s). The advanced molecular docking used the crystallography structure of SARS-CoV-2-cysteine-like protease (SARS-CoV-2-3CLpro) as a target. In total, seventy-eight phytochemicals with anti-CoV activity against different strains in cellular assays, were selected for this computational study, and compared with two existing repurposed FDA-approved drugs: lopinavir and ritonavir. This review brings insights in the potential application of phytochemicals and their derivatives, which could guide researchers to develop safe drugs against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasank Sekhar Swain
- Division of Microbiology and NCDs, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Odisha, India
| | - Sujogya Kumar Panda
- Department of Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center of Environment, Climate Change and Public Health, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Odisha, India
| | - Walter Luyten
- Department of Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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