In silico pharmacology最新文献

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a significant global health concern, with approximately 377,000 new cases diagnosed annually worldwide. Despite advances in treatment, OSCC remains a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality, particularly in regions with high prevalence such as Asia and Oceania. In order to identify potential drug targets for OSCC, this study employed an integrative in silico pharmacology strategy. Nineteen GEO transcriptomic datasets (435 samples) were analyzed, 580 significantly overexpressed genes (logFC > 2.5). Network and enrichment analyses highlighted CASQ1 (calsequestrin 1), a calcium-binding protein, as a hub gene within a sarcomeric cluster implicated in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and OSCC progression. To explore its therapeutic potential, molecular docking and 500 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed with standard chemotherapeutics, 5-fluorouracil and docetaxel. 5-fluorouracil exhibited strong binding affinity (- 7.225 kcal/mol) and stable conformational dynamics with CASQ1, while docetaxel showed more flexible but persistent binding. These results suggest that CASQ1 is a previously unrecognized drug-interactable target in OSCC and may represent a novel pharmacological vulnerability. Overall, this study demonstrates how integrative computational approaches, spanning gene expression profiling to drug-target interaction modeling, can accelerate target discovery and inform therapeutic strategies in oncology.

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Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-026-00554-2.

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is one of the potential pandemic pathogens, and it is a concern for elderly subjects and immunocompromised patients. There is no vaccine or specific antiviral available for hMPV. We conducted an in-silico study to predict initial antiviral candidates against human metapneumovirus. Our methodology included protein modeling, stability assessment, molecular docking, molecular simulation, analysis of non-covalent interactions, bioavailability, carcinogenicity, and pharmacokinetic profiling. We pinpointed four plant-derived bio-compounds as antiviral candidates. Among the compounds, apigenin showed the highest binding affinity, with values of - 8.0 kcal/mol for the hMPV-F protein and - 7.6 kcal/mol for the hMPV-N protein. Molecular dynamic simulations and further analyses confirmed that the protein-ligand docked complexes exhibited acceptable stability compared to two standard antiviral drugs. Additionally, these four compounds yielded satisfactory outcomes in bioavailability, drug-likeness, and ADME-Tox (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) and STopTox analyses. This study highlights the potential of apigenin and xanthoangelol E as an initial antiviral candidate, underscoring the necessity for wet-lab evaluation, preclinical and clinical trials against human metapneumovirus infection.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-025-00539-7.

Src homology region 2 -containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is an oncoprotein and a promising target for cancer treatment. Efforts to develop SHP2 allosteric inhibitors, such as SHP099, have laid the foundation for SHP2-targeted therapeutics. However, there are few SHP2 allosteric inhibitors have reached to clinical trials up to date. SHP099, despite its high potency, has off-target effects on the human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) channel, increasing cardiovascular toxicity risk due to its highly basic amine group. To address these challenges, understanding the molecular interactions between SHP2 allosteric inhibitors and SHP2 is essential for advancing drug development. In a previous study, an in-silico structure-based screening identified neutral SHP2 inhibitors, including C8. This study analyzed the binding modes of ionized and neutral SHP2 allosteric inhibitors under physiological and acidic pH conditions using constant pH molecular dynamics (cpHMD) simulations. SHP099 and C8 exhibited lower free binding energies with SHP1 compared to SHP2, confirming their specificity for SHP2. The protonated tertiary amine group in SHP099 contributed significantly to ligand stability and binding to SHP2, which was not observed with the neutrally charged allosteric inhibitor (C8). Furthermore, SHP099's binding interactions with SHP2 were pH-dependent, with acidic pH conditions showing the highest binding affinity. These findings provide insights into the molecular interactions of SHP2 allosteric inhibitors under physiologically relevant conditions, which will guide the optimization of the structural design of pyrazine-class SHP2 allosteric inhibitors.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-025-00551-x.

Dracaena reflexa is a medicinal plant traditionally used for various therapeutic purposes. This study focused on the isolation, characterization and anti-viral evaluation of bioactive constituents from its stem (dichloromethane extract) and leaves (ethanol extract). Chromatographic techniques yielded two compounds: Compound (1) is 3-(6',8'-dimethoxydodecyl)-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione, a novel alkylated pyrrole derivative and Compound (2) is 3,3',4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavon, a flavonoid reported for the first time in Dracaena reflexa. Structural elucidation was conducted using UV-Vis, FTIR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and mass spectrometry. Molecular docking studies targeting SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) and spike protein (Spro) revealed that Compound (2) exhibited stronger binding affinities (- 7.92 and - 8.47 kcal/mol, respectively) compared to Compound (1) (- 4.85 and - 6.60 kcal/mol) and was comparable to the reference drug, ivermectin. In silico ADME analysis showed that both compounds conformed to Lipinski's Rule of Five and displayed favorable pharmacokinetic properties, including good solubility, lipophilicity and gastrointestinal absorption. Compound (2) also exhibited better drug-likeness and bioavailability characteristics. These findings suggest that both compounds, particularly Compound (2), hold promise as lead candidates for the development of antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are recommended to validate their therapeutic potential.

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Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-026-00555-1.

Dental caries is a prevalent chronic infection caused by tooth-adherent cariogenic bacteria, mainly Streptococcus mutans, which demineralize tooth structure and lead to plaque formation. The present study evaluated the potential of Barleria cuspidata leaf extract (BCLE) to combat tooth decay by investigating its effects on S. mutans, a major contributor to dental caries, using both in vitro and in silico approaches. BCLE strongly inhibited the growth of S. mutans, showing a zone of inhibition of 17.4 mm at 150 µ g/mL, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1 mg/mL. At twice the MIC (2 mg/mL), it exhibited bactericidal effects, prevented acid production, reduced cell surface hydrophobicity, and inhibited biofilm formation. Thirty-six major compounds revealed from Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results of BCLE were subjected to molecular docking with the receptors, dextranase, N-terminal, and central regions comprising the third A-repeat through the first P-repeat (A3VP1) of antigen I/II, glucan binding protein C, deoxycytidylate deaminase, and dextran glucosidase that coordinates with the demineralization of tooth structure and plaque formation. Out of thirty-six compounds docked, the top fourteen showed no violations for the drug-likeness feature except monoethylhexylphthalate, pentadecanoic acid, and 3-hydroxy carbofuran phenol. Among them, Octadecanedioic acid represented the highest inhibition with deoxycytidylate deaminase (SmdCD) (PDB ID: 5C2O), and the complex, further analyzed for molecular dynamic simulation for 100ns, was found to be stable from 60-100ns with strong ionic and hydrogen bond interactions. Thus, the study suggested that the anti-cariogenic effect of BCLE would be beneficial in exploring the co-existence of plant extract and inventing novel herbal medicines to enhance caries protection.

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Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-025-00529-9.

Utilizing the network pharmacology approach to investigate the anticervical cancer activity of apigenin, daidzein, and isokaempferide of Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn. methanolic extract. The systematic pharmacological analysis platform of Swiss Target and the HRMS/MS studies provided information about the active ingredients of G. glabra Linn and potential targets in the cervical cancer (CC). We mapped the CC and its targets using disease databases like GeneCards and DisGeNet, which are used for mining gene targets associated with CC, and screened the core targets. We built the protein-protein interaction network (PPI) using the Cytoscape and STRING databases. The ShinyGo web tool was used to conduct pathway enrichment analysis of overlapping targets for gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG), cellular components, molecular functions, and their biological processes. The three constituents, apigenin, daidzein, and isokaempferide understand the primary therapeutic targets and roles of herbal decoctions in clinical settings, which correspond to a stronger binding affinity with the target of CC. The findings of our network pharmacology investigation made it clear that apigenin, daidzein, and isokaempferide of G. glabra Linn. methanolic extract may be used in anti-cervical cancer drug development.

Nipah virus (NiV) remains a lethal zoonotic pathogen with two major clades: NiV-Malaysia (NiV-M) and NiV-Bangladesh (NiV-B), representing a persistent global threat. While research has largely focused on NiV-M, NiV-B shows distinct pathogenicity, including higher mortality and increased human transmission. Molecular interactions, especially involving NiV-B attachment glycoprotein binding to host receptors, remain underexplored, prompting this study's focus. Thus, this study presents an in silico investigation of NiV-B attachment glycoprotein (AGP) mutations and their impact on binding to human ephrin receptors EFNB2 and EFNB3, key mediators of viral entry. Nineteen mutations in the NiV-B AGP globular head region were modelled to generate a mutant structure (AGP_MT), which was subjected to docking using HADDOCK, molecular dynamics simulations, and MM/PBSA binding free energy calculations. Compared to the wild-type AGP, the mutant showed stronger and more stable binding to both receptors. Principal component analysis and free energy landscape profiling indicated that these mutations modulate the dynamic flexibility and conformational stability of the receptor complexes, potentially contributing to enhanced viral infectiousness. Our computational characterization elucidates molecular mechanisms underlying NiV-B receptor specificity and offers critical structural insights. These findings lay the groundwork for in silico screening of small molecules or peptides targeting the AGP-EFNB interface, providing promising leads for therapeutic development against NiV infections. This study exemplifies how advanced computational pharmacology methods can bridge molecular virology and drug discovery, accelerating efforts to combat emerging viral threats.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-025-00535-x.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a prevalent chronic inflammatory condition. The cause of RA involves a complex system of cytokines and cells that stimulate the growth of synovial cells and cause damage to cartilage and bone. TNF-α is a pivotal pro-inflammatory cytokine in the etiology of RA, whereas glucocorticoids (GCs) are powerful immunomodulator that frequently employed to mitigate of inflammation. Alongside TNF-α, other cytokines including IL-17 and IL-18, as well as inflammatory mediators and enzymes such as COX-2, MMP-7, MMP-9, and MMP-13, significantly contribute to joint inflammation and tissue degradation in RA. Dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) has a significant therapy effect on RA by diminish the regulation of cytokines and inhibiting the function of leukocytes, and fibroblasts. In present study, novel pharmacophore features of DSP has been determined via computational assessment which provide new approaches for management of RA. The docking score values on different receptors for anti-arthritis activity, it is observed that DSP, namely, IL-18, COX-2, MMP-9 and Mineralocorticoid showed the best docking results. It has been found that DSP has some new targeting arability towards Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), Interferon (IFN)-γ, Nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (NAMPT) or Visfatin, NF-κB receptors which are responsible for RA regulation. Further, anti-inflammatory assay suggests its anti-arthritic activity and MTT assay divulge its toxicity towards pro-inflammatory macrophages. In order to determine the effectiveness of DSP in treatment of RA, the DSP has been administered to complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) developed rat. The anti-arthritic impact was evaluated by measuring the arthritic index; hind paw volume, X-ray imaging, and histopathology of ankle joints in arthritic rats.

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifaceted neurological condition noticeable by neurodegeneration, progressive cognitive impairment, and memory loss. Several interconnected pathological pathways work in harmony to present clinical AD. Currently available anti-AD therapeutics are capable of targeting a few pathways while others remain unchecked, leading to AD progression despite continuous therapy. The current study aimed to discover the potential of Aegle marmelos (AM) bioactives against AD and identify key pathological targets using Network Pharmacology (NP) and Molecular Docking approach. 14 bioactive compounds from AM were identified to have potential anti-AD activity based on favorable pharmacokinetic, safety profiles, NP predictions, and molecular docking validations. Ammijin, O-isopentenylhalfordinol, clionasterol, and fenretinide demonstrated notable binding affinity toward key AD-associated targets, show stronger affinity internal standards used in the study (donepezil and rivastigmine). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, Gene Ontology (GO), and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that these compounds may influence critical pathological pathways involved in AD progression. The findings provide insight into the multi-targeted potential of AM bioactives against AD. Our results not only provided experimental justification for the ethnomedicinal use of AM as a neuroprotectant but also revealed key bioactives and targeted pathways that could be exploited for developing new plant-based therapeutic approaches for AD management. Further in-vitro and in-vivo investigations are necessary to validate these results and explore their practical applications.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-026-00559-x.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition most often occurring in aged individuals and displaying symptoms of memory impairment, cognitive decline, and behavioral disturbances. With a significant reduction in acetylcholine levels, the disruption of the cholinergic system is an essential part of AD pathogenesis. By increasing the availability of acetylcholine and thus enhancing cholinergic transmission, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) like galantamine, donepezil, and rivastigmine are employed to alleviate symptoms. In this study, the prospect of phytoconstituents of Senecio species collected from various literature (GC-MS and LC-MS data) as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) is investigated. A total of 250 compounds were screened for ADMET using SwissADME database. Out of these 42 were eligible for the docking study. The docking results revealed that 2 compounds (Piperitol [4EY7-PIP]) and (4R)-4-hydroxy-4,5,5-trimethyl-3-[(E)-3-oxobut-1-enyl]cyclohex-2-en-1-one [xxx]) showed stronger binding to the AchE receptor than the standard drug, donepezil. Further, the compounds were subjected to Molecular dynamics simulations for 100ns. The results revealed that these molecules significantly stabilized proteins in different parameters, such as RMSD, RMSF, Rg, SASA, and MM-PBSA. The inspection of solvent interaction, structural compactness, and molecular flexibility underlined the desirable interaction and dynamic stability of 4EY7-PIP. Steered Molecular Dynamics (SMD) uses externally applied forces to probe molecular interactions, conformational changes, and energy landscapes beyond the reach of conventional MD. Based on these findings, Senecio species most prominent phytoconstituent can be employed as a therapeutic agent against Alzheimer's disease, but more experimental studies are required to establish its value and therapeutic benefits.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-026-00556-0.