Structure-based drug designing methodology to elucidate the binding affinities of phyto-ligands of Annona muricata against oncogenic PirH2

Abstract

Malignant neoplasm or cancer involves abnormal cell growth and by inchmeal it starts to proliferate over other parts of the body (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/; http://www. cancer.gov/about-cancer/what-is-cancer). One of the latest worldwide incidences and mortality studies of 27 major cancers reveals lung cancer being the pre-eminent cause of cancer death (1.6 million) when compared to deaths caused by any other types of cancer (http:// globocan.iarc.fr/Pages/fact_sheets_cancer.aspx). With no absolute prevention and definitive cure, finding a treatment for cancer has become a prime concern (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/ fs297/en/). This research paper focuses on finding a potential drug that could help in curing lung cancer and multiple other cancers as the drug targets cancer cells overexpressing PirH2; a protein discovered belonging to the family of ubiquitin protein ligase (http://www. yourgenome.org/facts/is-cancer-a-genetic-disease). Lung cancer is one of the major genetic diseases causing death1 and it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world. Lung cancer can be broadly divided into three types: Non-Small cell Lung cancer, Small cell lung cancer and Lung Carcinoid tumor involving carcinomas. These tumors originate from epithelia of the trachea, bronchi or lungs, most common of them being squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma. Amongst the three types mentioned, the small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is known to be most malignant. Cancer cells are very sensitive to radiation and chemotherapy, chemotherapy being an essential component of the treatment of all patients with SCLC2 thus lung cancer bears emphasis in the following research.