Medicinal Chemistry最新文献

The G protein-coupled receptor 52 (GPR52) is a Gs-coupled receptor and is located principally in the striatum alongside D₂ receptor and in the pre-frontal cortex alongside D₁ receptor. Its stimulation leads to potentiation of intracellular cAMP levels, producing effects on cAMP levels similar to those of a Gi-coupled D₂ receptor antagonist in the striatum and a Gscoupled D₁ receptor agonist in the prefrontal cortex. This dual mechanism suggests that GPR52 activation could result in antipsychotic effects akin to D₂ antagonism and pro-cognitive effects resembling D₁ agonism. As a result, GPR52 has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including schizophrenia and substance use disorder. Additionally, knocking out (KO) GPR52 not only significantly reduces mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) levels in the striatum but also rescues Huntington's disease-associated behavioral phenotypes in a knock-in Huntington's disease mouse model, which provides evidence that GRP52 may also serve as a potential target for Huntington's disease. This review summarizes the current state of small-molecule ligand/drug discovery for GPR52, focusing on the latest findings about the role of GPR52 in schizophrenia and Huntington's disease.

Background: The current study explored the cholinesterase inhibitory activities of some thiosemicarbazone derivatives bearing 2,4-dichloro phenylacetic acid scaffold.

Objective: This study aimed to screen the synthesized derivatives for their in vitro acetylcholine and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition.

Methods: These compounds were synthesized by refluxing 2,4-dichloro phenylacetic acid with sulfuric acid in ethanol to get the ester, which was further refluxed with thiosemicarbazide in ethanol to get the desired compound (2). Different benzaldehydes were treated with compound (2) in ethanol having a catalytic amount of acetic acid to get thiosemicarbazones.

Results: In the series, seven compounds, including compounds 2c, 2a, 2b, 2d, 2g, 2e, and 2f, displayed excellent acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities in the range of IC₅₀ values from 41.51 ± 3.88 to 95.48 ± 0.70 μM, surpassing than the standard galantamine (IC₅₀ = 104.5 ± 1.20 μM). Also, compounds 2a, 2g, 2h, 2f, 2b, and 2d with IC₅₀ values ranging from 64.47 ± 2.74 to 80.62 ± 0.73 μM exhibited potent inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase enzyme, being similar to the standard galantamine (IC₅₀ = 156.8 ± 1.50 μM). The molecular docking investigation was performed to assess the binding affinity of the compounds with the active site of the enzyme. These compounds, along with the docked complexes, specifically AChE-compound 2a and BuChE-compound 2g, were chosen and subjected to 100-nanosecond molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations demonstrated strong stability of the ligands within the active pockets of AChE and BuChE enzymes.

Conclusion: These derivatives exhibited superior acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities compared to galantamine, with molecular docking and dynamic simulations confirming their strong binding affinity with the active sites of the enzymes.

Introduction: This study presents a comprehensive exploration of the biomedical potential of the synthesized metal-organic framework Zn₄O(BDC)₃, focusing on its applications in cancer and diabetes treatment and its advanced drug delivery capabilities.

Methods: The structural and physicochemical properties of Zn₄O(BDC)₃ were characterized using FTIR, TGA, ¹H NMR, PXRD, and elemental analysis, revealing its exceptional stability and coordination properties. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations (100 ns), and MM-GBSA calculations were performed to assess binding affinities and stability.

Results: The interactions of Zn₄O(BDC)₃ with salmon sperm DNA (SSDNA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) demonstrated significant anticancer potential, evidenced by binding constant values of 6.0 × 10⁶M^-1 and Gibbs free energy changes of -17.93 and -19.61 kcal/mol, respectively, highlighting its ability to suppress tumor cell proliferation. With doxorubicin (DOX) loading and reloading efficiencies of 88% and 87.5%, Zn₄O(BDC)₃ exhibited superior drug delivery capabilities. The anti-diabetic potential was validated by the formation of human insulin (HI) hexamers with ΔG values of 0.8 ± 0.1 and a significant decrease in absorption intensity (5.8 to 0.05 at 250 nm). Molecular docking studies revealed moderate to high binding affinities (-10.0 to -5.3 kcal/mol) with biomolecular targets, supported by molecular dynamics simulations over 100 ns and MM-GBSA calculations indicating robust stability (ΔG = -33.31 kcal/mol).

Conclusion: These in-silico and in-vitro analyses underscore the significant pharmacological promise of Zn₄O(BDC)₃ as a multifunctional agent for anticancer, antidiabetic, and drug delivery applications.

Objective: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) has been one of the pathogenic bacteria for clinical infections, and there is an urgent need for the development of novel anti-S. aureus drugs. SecA is a conserved and essential protein in bacteria and is considered as an ideal target for development. Current screening of inhibitors against SecA has focused on the ATP-binding structural domain, which increases the risk of drug side effects, so a novel screening strategy based on the non-ATP-binding structural domain was chosen in this paper.

Methods: A three-dimensional structural model of S. aureus SecA1N75 was constructed, and molecular docking was utilized to screen small molecules with strong interactions with the non- ATP binding domains from a compound library, and four candidate compounds were finally targeted. Molecular dynamics simulations of the candidate molecules were performed to evaluate their drug potential.

Results: The four candidate compounds formed stable interactions with key residues of the SecA binding pocket. Molecular dynamics simulations further showed that the candidate molecules bound to the receptor in a stable conformation with nM-level inhibition constants, displaying potent SecA inhibitory activity. It lays the foundation of a lead compound for the development of antimicrobial drugs targeting SecA.

Conclusion: In this thesis, an inhibitor screening strategy based on non-ATP binding structural domains was successfully constructed, which breaks through the limitations of traditional methods to screen candidate molecules with high activity and low risk of potential side effects, and provides an innovative solution to meet the challenge of S. aureus drug resistance.

Introduction: Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is a serine/threonine kinase that is involved in the synthesis of glycogen. Among the inhibitors, thiazolidinediones (TZDs) can specifically bind to GSK-3ß. They act non-competitively with ATP, and as a result, they are very specific and have fewer side effects. In this research, new TZDs were designed and synthesized, and then their inhibitory effects on GSK-3β enzyme and tau aggregation were investigated.

Material and methods: The structure of the compounds was confirmed using 1H-NMR, 13CNMR, and LC-MASS. The inhibitory activities of the compounds 5a-p, against GSK-3ß were evaluated using Z'-LYTE technique, and the IC50 values were determined.

Results: Compound 5l (R1 = Me, R2 = 4-F-benzyl, R3 = butyl) with IC50 of 16.1 μM exhibited the most potent inhibition. Also, the binding with tau protein and their inhibitory effects on the accumulation of recombinant human tau protein (1N4R, htau34) were evaluated using the Surface Plasmon Response (SPR) method. In this study also the impact of TZDs on tau aggregation using the Thioflavin T (ThT) assay was investigated. PC12 cells viability study confirmed the neuroprotective effects of compounds against tau aggregates. MD simulation studies showed the interaction of 5l with the active site of GSK-3b (PDB ID: 2OW3) and also its destructive effect on tau aggregate (PDB ID: 5O3L) was studied.

Conclusion: Overall, the study identified three promising TZDs with potential as inhibitors of GSK-3β and tau proteins, highlighting compound 5l as particularly effective in stabilizing GSK- 3β and disrupting tau aggregation.

Background: To date, COVID-19 has caused over 772 million cases, with approximately 7 million deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Therefore, there is a need to develop new drugs to address the challenges posed by this disease.

Objective: To propose new antiviral agents based on the natural product curcumin as potential protein-protein interaction inhibitors between the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (RBD) and the ACE2 receptor.

Methods: A curcumin-based virtual screening was performed (Tanimoto coefficient= 0.9), and molecular docking analysis were carried out using the RBD as a receptor. Molecular dynamics (MD) using GROMACS were conducted for 120 ns. The SwissADME server was used to predict pharmacokinetics. To validate predictions, an in vitro enzyme assay measuring the relative inhibition of the interaction between the RBD and the ACE2 receptor was performed.

Results: More than 1300 ligands were evaluated through molecular docking. The docking results were analyzed, and the ligands were classified according to their score and profile of interactions with residues of the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein. The top ten with the best scores and interactions were selected to verify the commercial availability. The lead compound Cu-1 demonstrated significant interactions with the RBD and stability in MD simulations, was acquired and evaluated in vitro. Compound Cu-1 inhibited 36 ± 0.7 % the interaction between the SARSCoV- 2 spike and the ACE2 receptor. In addition, Cu-1 was shown to have an acceptable druglikeness and pharmacokinetic profile.

Conclusion: Curcumin provides a scaffold for identifying novel compounds with potential antiviral activity. Further studies on compound Cu-1 could yield on optimizing its structure to increase activity targeting the RBD of the S glycoprotein.

Background: Protein Interacting with NIMA1 (PIN1) is a distinct enzyme, known as a peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase), which catalyzes the cis-trans isomerization of amide bonds in proteins containing phosphoserine/threonine-proline (pSer/Thr-Pro) motifs, presenting a unique therapeutic opportunity for addressing multiple disorders.

Methods: A series of 140 thiazole compounds were created using the shape similarity technique with the intention of discovering effective PIN1 inhibitors with a new scaffold. The designed compounds were docked into the enzyme's ATP binding site, and the binding free energies for all docked conformations were calculated. The compounds were evaluated for their ADMET and drug-likeness properties. Following the identification of top candidates, molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to investigate the binding dynamics of the highest-scoring compound.

Results: Based on computational findings, sixteen compounds were identified as potential PIN1 inhibitors. Among the sixteen compounds, four (S8Ba, S8Bb, S8Bd, and S8Bd) exhibited the most favorable ADMET profiles and robust interactions with key PIN1 residues. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that S8Ba and S8Bd exhibited the most promising activity over 100ns.

Conclusion: The results corroborated the docking outcomes, validating the selected hits as potential PIN1 inhibitors. This breakthrough could influence the development of therapeutic leads for combating diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.

Background and objectives: Cabozantinib, a Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI), is widely used in Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) therapy but often causes serious side effects such as myelosuppression, immunosuppression, and angiopathy. This study aims to identify key protein targets responsible for the therapeutic efficacy and adverse reactions of cabozantinib and to explore structural modifications to reduce toxicity while preserving efficacy.

Methods: A non-randomized computational approach was employed, screening 400 potential protein targets using SwissTargetPrediction and ChemBL databases. Molecular docking and Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) analysis were performed to assess interactions between cabozantinib and identified targets, focusing on structural elements contributing to toxicity.

Results: Three primary proteins were identified as responsible for the anti-tumor effects of cabozantinib, while three others were linked to its side effects. Docking analysis revealed that the methoxyphenyl group in cabozantinib formed undesirable hydrogen bonds with toxicity-related proteins. Modulating these off-target interactions by minimizing hydrogen bonding in this region could significantly reduce adverse effects.

Conclusion: These findings provide structural insights into cabozantinib's dual effects and suggest optimization strategies for TKI design, offering a pathway toward safer and more effective RCC treatments.

Unusual cell growth patterns, metastasis (the spread of tumors to other parts of the body), and potential death are all hallmarks of cancerResearch in oncology clearly shows that abnormalities in EGFR expression directly contribute to uncontrolled cell growth and division, resulting in the development of carcinomas.. People with cancer have developed resistance due to mutations in several EGFR-associated genes. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and other cancer treatments must, therefore, undergo continuous improvement. Currently, fourth-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that act allosterically against the C797S mutation are the most widely used class of medications that target EGFR mutations. To help researchers better understand how to optimize pyrazole and pyrazoline-based derivatives as antiproliferative agents, this review summarises the work done in the last fifteen years on different anti-cancer agents representing 31 most potential compounds along with their activity characteristics, with a particular emphasis on the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of possible pyrazole and pyrazoline derivatives as EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors.