In Vitro and In Vivo Antiviral Studies of New Heteroannulated 1,2,3-Triazole Glycosides Targeting the Neuraminidase of Influenza A Viruses

Discovery of new quinoline derivatives bearing 1-aryl-1,2,3-triazole motif as influenza H1N1 virus neuraminidase inhibitors

Sporadically and periodically, influenza outbreaks threaten global health and the economy. Antigen drift-induced influenza virus mutations hamper antiviral drug development. Thus, a novel antiviral agent is urgently needed to address medication inefficacy issues. Herein, sixteen new quinoline-triazole hybrids 6a-h and 9a-h were prepared and evaluated in vitro against the H1N1 virus. In particular, 6d, 6e, and 9b showed promising H1N1 antiviral activity with selective index (SI) CC50/IC50 values of 15.8, 37, and 29.15. After that, the inhibition rates for various mechanisms of action (virus replication, adsorption, and virucidal activity) were investigated for the most efficient candidates 6d, 6e, and 9b. Additionally, their ability to inhibit neuraminidase was evaluated. With an IC50 value of 0.30 µM, hybrid 6d demonstrated effective and comparable inhibitory activity to Oseltamivir. Ultimately, molecular modeling investigations, encompassing molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations, were conducted to provide a scientific basis for the observed antiviral results.

Benzimidazole-Oxadiazole Hybrids-Development in Medicinal Chemistry: An Overview

To increase the success rate of drug discovery, one practical strategy is to begin molecular hybridisation. The presence of two or more pharmacophores in a single unit leads to a pharmacological potency greater than the sum of each individual moiety's potency. Heterocyclic compounds are very widely distributed in nature and are essential for life activities. Benzimidazole and oxadiazole are privileged structures in medicinal chemistry and are widely used in drug discovery and development due to their vast biological properties. The drug-like properties (like pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics) of the individual scaffolds can be improved by benzimidazole-oxadiazole chimeric molecules via a molecular hybridisation approach. Benzimidazole and oxadiazole cores can either be fused or incorporated using either functional groups/bonds. Over the last few decades, drug discovery scientists have predicted that these moieties could be interconnected to yield a novel or modified hybrid compound. Benzimidazole and oxadiazole hybrids were identified as the most potent anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antihypertensive and antitubercular agents. In this context, the present review describes the biological properties of benzimidazole-oxadiazole (1,3,4 and 1,2,4) hybrids, their possible structure-activity relationship and the mechanism of action studies presented. This review article is intended to stimulate fresh ideas in the search for rational designs of more active and less toxic benzimidazole-oxadiazole hybrid prospective therapeutic candidates, as well as more effective diagnostic agents and pathologic probes.

An update on lipophilic efficiency as an important metric in drug design

INTRODUCTION

Lipophilic efficiency (LipE) and lipophilic metabolic efficiency (LipMetE) are valuable tools that can be utilized as part of a multiparameter optimization process to advance a hit to a clinical quality compound.

AREAS COVERED

This review covers recent, effective use cases of LipE and LipMetE that have been published in the literature over the past 5 years. These use cases resulted in the delivery of high-quality molecules that were brought forward to in vivo work and/or to clinical studies. The authors discuss best-practices for using LipE and LipMetE analysis, combined with lipophilicity-focused compound design strategies, to increase the speed and effectiveness of the hit to clinical quality compound optimization process.

EXPERT OPINION

It has become well established that increasing LipE and LipMetE within a series of analogs facilitates the improvement of broad selectivity, clearance, solubility, and permeability and, through this optimization, also facilitates the achievement of desired pharmacokinetic properties, efficacy, and tolerability. Within this article, we discuss lipophilic efficiency-focused optimization as a tool to yield high-quality potential clinical candidates. It is suggested that LipE/LipMetE-focused optimization can facilitate and accelerate the drug-discovery process.

Assessment of toxicity and antimicrobial performance of polymeric inorganic coagulant and evaluation for eutrophication reduction

In this study, the efficacy of the promising iron-based polymeric inorganic coagulant (POFC) was assessed for the reduction of eutrophication effect (freshwater toxicity) and the microbial loads from wastewater. Toxicity assessment for POFC was conducted on mice and skin cell lines. The results confirm the lower toxicity level of POFC. The POFC showed excellent antibacterial efficacy against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, it demonstrated a remarkable effectiveness against black fungus such as Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oryzae. Additionally, POFC showed antiviral effectiveness against the highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus as well as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). POFC-based treatment gives excellent removal percentages for phosphate, and phosphorus at doses below 60 ppm with a low produced sludge volume that leads to 84% decrease in the rate of eutrophication and freshwater toxicity. At a POFC concentration of 60 ppm, remarkable reduction rates for total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and E. coli were achieved. After POFC-based coagulation, the produced sludge retains a lower bacterial density due to the antibacterial activity of POFC. Furthermore, it revealed that the observed removal efficiencies for fungi and yeasts in the produced sludge reached 85% at a POFC dose of 60 ppm. Overall, our research indicates that POFC has potential for application in pre-treatment of wastewater and serves as an antimicrobial agent.

Click chemistry-aided drug discovery: A retrospective and prospective outlook

Click chemistry has emerged as a valuable tool for rapid compound synthesis, presenting notable advantages and convenience in the exploration of potential drug candidates. In particular, in situ click chemistry capitalizes on enzymes as reaction templates, leveraging their favorable conformation to selectively link individual building blocks and generate novel hits. This review comprehensively outlines and introduces the extensive use of click chemistry in compound library construction, and hit and lead discovery, supported by specific research examples. Additionally, it discusses the limitations and precautions associated with the application of click chemistry in drug discovery. Our intention for this review is to contribute to the development of a modular synthetic approach for the rapid identification of drug candidates.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 1,2,3-triazole hybrids of cabotegravir: identification of potent antitumor activity against lung cancer

In pursuit of discovering novel anticancer agents, we designed and synthesized a series of novel 1,2,3-triazole hybrids based on cabotegravir analogues. These compounds were subjected to initial biological evaluations to assess their anticancer activities against non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our findings indicated that some of these compounds exhibited promising antitumor abilities against H460 cells, while demonstrated less efficacy against H1299 cells. Notably, compound 5i emerged as the most potent, displaying an IC50 value of 6.06 μM. Furthermore, our investigations into cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production revealed that compound 5i significantly induced apoptosis and triggered ROS generation. Additionally, Western blot analysis revealed the pronounced elevation of LC3 expression in H460 cells and γ-H2AX expression in H1299 cells subsequent to treatment with compound 5i. These molecular responses potentially contribute to the observed cell death phenomenon. These findings highlight the potential of compound 5i as a promising candidate for further development as an anticancer agent especially lung cancer.

Immune response in influenza virus infection and modulation of immune injury by viral neuraminidase

Influenza A viruses cause severe respiratory illnesses in humans and animals. Overreaction of the innate immune response to influenza virus infection results in hypercytokinemia, which is responsible for mortality and morbidity. The influenza A virus surface glycoprotein neuraminidase (NA) plays a vital role in viral attachment, entry, and virion release from infected cells. NA acts as a sialidase, which cleaves sialic acids from cell surface proteins and carbohydrate side chains on nascent virions. Here, we review progress in understanding the role of NA in modulating host immune response to influenza virus infection. We also discuss recent exciting findings targeting NA protein to interrupt influenza-induced immune injury.

Chemical synthesis of oligosaccharides and their application in new drug research

Oligosaccharides are the ubiquitous molecules of life. In order to translate human bioglycosylation into clinical applications, homogeneous samples of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates can be obtained by chemical, enzymatic or other biological methods for systematic studies. However, the structural complexity and diversity of glycans and their conjugates present a major challenge for the synthesis of such molecules. This review summarizes the chemical synthesis methods of oligosaccharides, the application of oligosaccharides in the field of medicinal chemistry according to their related biological activities, and shows the great prospect of oligosaccharides in the field of pharmaceutical chemistry.

Recent updates in click and computational chemistry for drug discovery and development

Drug discovery is a costly and time-consuming process with a very high failure rate. Recently, click chemistry and computer-aided drug design (CADD) represent popular areas for new drug development. Herein, we summarized the recent updates in click and computational chemistry for drug discovery and development including clicking to effectively synthesize druggable candidates, synthesis and modification of natural products, targeted delivery systems, and computer-aided drug discovery for target identification, seeking out and optimizing lead compounds, ADMET prediction as well as compounds synthesis, hopefully, inspires new ideas for novel drug development in the future.