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Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2016) | Viewed by 130500

Special Issue Editors

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
Interests: drug discovery; systems pharmacology; cancer pharmacology; drug metabolism and transport; pharmacometrics; pharmacogenomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Gordon Life Science Institute, Belmont, MA, USA
Interests: drug discovery and development; drug metabolism; pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics; cheminformatics; bioanalytical research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Drug discovery is the process through which potential new therapeutic entities are identified, using a combination of computational, experimental, translational, and clinical models. Despite advances in biotechnology and understanding of biological systems, drug discovery is still a lengthy, costly, difficult, and inefficient process with a high attrition rate of new therapeutic discovery. Drug design is the inventive process of finding new medications based on the knowledge of a biological target. In the most basic sense, drug design involves the design of molecules that are complementary in shape and charge to the molecular target with which they interact and bind. Drug design frequently but not necessarily relies on computer modeling techniques and bioinformatics approaches in the big data era. In addition to small molecules, biopharmaceuticals and especially therapeutic antibodies are an increasingly important class of drugs and computational methods for improving the affinity, selectivity, and stability of these protein-based therapeutics have also gained great advances. Drug development and discovery includes preclinical research on cell-based and animal models and clinical trials on humans, and finally move forward to the step of obtaining regulatory approval to market the drug. Modern drug discovery involves the identification of screening hits, medicinal chemistry and optimization of those hits to increase the affinity, selectivity (to reduce the potential of side effects), efficacy/potency, metabolic stability (to increase the half-life), and oral bioavailability. Once a compound that fulfills all of these requirements has been identified, it will begin the process of drug development prior to clinical trials. This Special Issue will be focus on the basic principles of modern drug design and discovery and the potential applications. Review and research papers that address drug design using ligand- or structure-based approach, translational studies, and clinical trials are all welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Shufeng Zhou
Dr. Wei-Zhu Zhong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • drug design
  • drug development and discovery
  • efficacy
  • target
  • toxicity
  • side effect
  • binding site prediction
  • anti-cancer agent
  • post-translational modification
  • post-transcriptional modification

Published Papers (19 papers)

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Editorial

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167 KiB  
Editorial
Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications
by Shu-Feng Zhou and Wei-Zhu Zhong
Molecules 2017, 22(2), 279; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules22020279 - 13 Feb 2017
Cited by 57 | Viewed by 9094
Abstract
Drug discovery is the process through which potential new therapeutic entities are identified, using a combination of computational, experimental, translational, and clinical models (see, e.g., [1,2]).[...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)

Research

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Article
Combating Ebola with Repurposed Therapeutics Using the CANDO Platform
by Gaurav Chopra, Sashank Kaushik, Peter L. Elkin and Ram Samudrala
Molecules 2016, 21(12), 1537; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21121537 - 25 Nov 2016
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 6313
Abstract
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is extremely virulent with an estimated mortality rate of up to 90%. However, the state-of-the-art treatment for EVD is limited to quarantine and supportive care. The 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the largest in history, is believed to [...] Read more.
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is extremely virulent with an estimated mortality rate of up to 90%. However, the state-of-the-art treatment for EVD is limited to quarantine and supportive care. The 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the largest in history, is believed to have caused more than 11,000 fatalities. The countries worst affected are also among the poorest in the world. Given the complexities, time, and resources required for a novel drug development, finding efficient drug discovery pathways is going to be crucial in the fight against future outbreaks. We have developed a Computational Analysis of Novel Drug Opportunities (CANDO) platform based on the hypothesis that drugs function by interacting with multiple protein targets to create a molecular interaction signature that can be exploited for rapid therapeutic repurposing and discovery. We used the CANDO platform to identify and rank FDA-approved drug candidates that bind and inhibit all proteins encoded by the genomes of five different Ebola virus strains. Top ranking drug candidates for EVD treatment generated by CANDO were compared to in vitro screening studies against Ebola virus-like particles (VLPs) by Kouznetsova et al. and genetically engineered Ebola virus and cell viability studies by Johansen et al. to identify drug overlaps between the in virtuale and in vitro studies as putative treatments for future EVD outbreaks. Our results indicate that integrating computational docking predictions on a proteomic scale with results from in vitro screening studies may be used to select and prioritize compounds for further in vivo and clinical testing. This approach will significantly reduce the lead time, risk, cost, and resources required to determine efficacious therapies against future EVD outbreaks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
NO-Releasing Enmein-Type Diterpenoid Derivatives with Selective Antiproliferative Activity and Effects on Apoptosis-Related Proteins
by Dahong Li, Xu Hu, Tong Han, Jie Liao, Wei Xiao, Shengtao Xu, Zhanlin Li, Zhenzhong Wang, Huiming Hua and Jinyi Xu
Molecules 2016, 21(9), 1193; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21091193 - 08 Sep 2016
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4842
Abstract
A series of nine enmein-type ent-kaurane diterpenoid and furoxan-based nitric oxide (NO) donor hybrids (10ai) were designed and synthesized from commercially available oridonin (1). These hybrids were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against Bel-7402, K562, MGC-803, [...] Read more.
A series of nine enmein-type ent-kaurane diterpenoid and furoxan-based nitric oxide (NO) donor hybrids (10ai) were designed and synthesized from commercially available oridonin (1). These hybrids were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against Bel-7402, K562, MGC-803, and CaEs-17 human cancer cell lines and L-02 normal liver cells. The antiproliferative activity against tumor cells was stronger than the lead compound 1 and parent molecule 9 in most cases. Especially, compound 10f showed the strongest activity against human hepatocarcinoma Bel-7402 cell line with an IC50 of 0.81 μM and could also release 33.7 μmol/L NO at the time point of 60 min. Compounds 10ai also showed cytotoxic selectivity between tumor and normal liver cells with IC50 ranging from 22.1 to 33.9 μM. Furthermore, the apoptotic properties on Bel-7402 cells revealed that 10f could induce S phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis at low micromolar concentrations. The effects of 10f on apoptosis-related proteins were also investigated. The potent antiproliferative activities and mechanistic studies warrant further preclinical investigations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Boronic Acid Group: A Cumbersome False Negative Case in the Process of Drug Design
by Sotirios Katsamakas, Anastasios G. Papadopoulos and Dimitra Hadjipavlou-Litina
Molecules 2016, 21(9), 1185; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21091185 - 07 Sep 2016
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5846
Abstract
Herein we present, an exhaustive docking analysis considering the case of autotaxin (ATX). HA155, a small molecule inhibitor of ATX, is co-crystallized. In order to further extract conclusions on the nature of the bond formed between the ligands and the amino acid residues [...] Read more.
Herein we present, an exhaustive docking analysis considering the case of autotaxin (ATX). HA155, a small molecule inhibitor of ATX, is co-crystallized. In order to further extract conclusions on the nature of the bond formed between the ligands and the amino acid residues of the active site, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were undertaken. However, docking does not provide reproducible results when screening boronic acid derivatives and their binding orientations to protein drug targets. Based on natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations, the formed bond between Ser/Thr residues is characterized more accurately as a polar covalent bond instead of a simple nonpolar covalent one. The presented results are acceptable and could be used in screening as an active negative filter for boron compounds. The hydroxyl groups of amino acids are bonded with the inhibitor’s boron atom, converting its hybridization to sp3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Antiproliferative Activity and Cellular Uptake of Evodiamine and Rutaecarpine Based on 3D Tumor Models
by Hui Guo, Dongmei Liu, Bin Gao, Xiaohui Zhang, Minli You, Hui Ren, Hongbo Zhang, Hélder A. Santos and Feng Xu
Molecules 2016, 21(7), 954; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21070954 - 21 Jul 2016
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 7485
Abstract
Evodiamine (EVO) and rutaecarpine (RUT) are promising anti-tumor drug candidates. The evaluation of the anti-proliferative activity and cellular uptake of EVO and RUT in 3D multicellular spheroids of cancer cells would better recapitulate the native situation and thus better reflect an in vivo [...] Read more.
Evodiamine (EVO) and rutaecarpine (RUT) are promising anti-tumor drug candidates. The evaluation of the anti-proliferative activity and cellular uptake of EVO and RUT in 3D multicellular spheroids of cancer cells would better recapitulate the native situation and thus better reflect an in vivo response to the treatment. Herein, we employed the 3D culture of MCF-7 and SMMC-7721 cells based on hanging drop method and evaluated the anti-proliferative activity and cellular uptake of EVO and RUT in 3D multicellular spheroids, and compared the results with those obtained from 2D monolayers. The drugs’ IC50 values were significantly increased from the range of 6.4–44.1 μM in 2D monolayers to 21.8–138.0 μM in 3D multicellular spheroids, which may be due to enhanced mass barrier and reduced drug penetration in 3D models. The fluorescence of EVO and RUT was measured via fluorescence spectroscopy and the cellular uptake of both drugs was characterized in 2D tumor models. The results showed that the cellular uptake concentrations of RUT increased with increasing drug concentrations. However, the EVO concentrations uptaken by the cells showed only a small change with increasing drug concentrations, which may be due to the different solubility of EVO and Rut in solvents. Overall, this study provided a new vision of the anti-tumor activity of EVO and RUT via 3D multicellular spheroids and cellular uptake through the fluorescence of compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
New Potential Antimalarial Agents: Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Some Novel Quinoline Derivatives as Antimalarial Agents
by Ibrahim Ali M. Radini, Tarek M. Y. Elsheikh, Emad M. El-Telbani and Rizk E. Khidre
Molecules 2016, 21(7), 909; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21070909 - 14 Jul 2016
Cited by 45 | Viewed by 7294
Abstract
A novel series of dihydropyrimidines (DHPMs) 4aj; 2-oxopyran-3-carboxylate 7a,b; 1-amino-1,2-dihydropyridine-3-carboxylate 8; and 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives 12 with quinolinyl residues have been synthesized in fairly good yields. The structure of the newly synthesized compounds was elucidated on the basis of [...] Read more.
A novel series of dihydropyrimidines (DHPMs) 4aj; 2-oxopyran-3-carboxylate 7a,b; 1-amino-1,2-dihydropyridine-3-carboxylate 8; and 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives 12 with quinolinyl residues have been synthesized in fairly good yields. The structure of the newly synthesized compounds was elucidated on the basis of analytical and spectral analyses. In vitro antimalarial evaluation of the synthesized quinoline derivatives against Plasmodium falciparum revealed them to possess moderate to high antimalarial activities, with IC50 values ranging from 0.014–5.87 μg/mL. Compounds 4b,g,i and 12 showed excellent antimalarial activity against to Plasmodium falciparum compared with the antimalarial agent chloroquine (CQ). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Novel (E)-β-Farnesene Analogues Containing 2-Nitroiminohexahydro-1,3,5-triazine: Synthesis and Biological Activity Evaluation
by Yaoguo Qin, Jingpeng Zhang, Dunlun Song, Hongxia Duan, Wenhao Li and Xinling Yang
Molecules 2016, 21(7), 825; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21070825 - 24 Jun 2016
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5845
Abstract
In order to discover novel eco-friendly compounds with good activity for aphid control, (E)-β-farnesene (EβF), the main component of the aphid alarm pheromone, was chosen as the lead compound. By introducing a 2-nitroimino-hexahydro-1,3,5-triazine moiety (abbreviated NHT) to replace the unstable conjugated [...] Read more.
In order to discover novel eco-friendly compounds with good activity for aphid control, (E)-β-farnesene (EβF), the main component of the aphid alarm pheromone, was chosen as the lead compound. By introducing a 2-nitroimino-hexahydro-1,3,5-triazine moiety (abbreviated NHT) to replace the unstable conjugated double bond system of EβF, a series of novel EβF analogues containing the NHT moiety were synthesized via the reaction of substituted NHT rings with (E)-1-chloro-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-diene. All the compounds were characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, IR, and high resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS). The bioassay results showed that all the analogues displayed different repellent and aphicidal activities against green peach aphid (Myzus persicae). Particularly, the analogue 4r exhibited obvious repellent activity (repellent proportion: 78.43%) and similar aphicidal activity against M. persicae (mortality: 82.05%) as the commercial compound pymetrozine (80.07%). A preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) study was also performed, which offered valuable clues for the design of further new EβF analogues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Significant Improvement of Metabolic Characteristics and Bioactivities of Clopidogrel and Analogs by Selective Deuteration
by Xueyu Xu, Xue Zhao, Zhichao Yang, Hao Wang, Xiangjun Meng, Chong Su, Mingyuan Liu, John Paul Fawcett, Yan Yang and Jingkai Gu
Molecules 2016, 21(6), 704; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21060704 - 30 May 2016
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 6264
Abstract
In the search for prodrug analogs of clopidogrel with improved metabolic characteristics and antiplatelet bioactivity, a group of clopidogrel and vicagrel analogs selectively deuterated at the benzylic methyl ester group were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated. The compounds included clopidogrel-d3 (8 [...] Read more.
In the search for prodrug analogs of clopidogrel with improved metabolic characteristics and antiplatelet bioactivity, a group of clopidogrel and vicagrel analogs selectively deuterated at the benzylic methyl ester group were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated. The compounds included clopidogrel-d3 (8), 2-oxoclopidogrel-d3 (9), vicagrel-d3 (10a), and 12 vicagrel-d3 analogs (10b10m) with different alkyl groups in the thiophene ester moiety. The D3C-O bond length in 10a was shown by X-ray single crystal diffraction to be shorter than the H3C-O bond length in clopidogrel, consistent with the slower rate of hydrolysis of 8 than of clopidogrel in rat whole blood in vitro. A study of the ability of the compounds to inhibit ADP-induced platelet aggregation in fresh rat whole blood collected 2 h after oral dosing of rats with the compounds (7.8 μmol/kg) showed that deuteration increased the activity of clopidogrel and that increasing the size of the alkyl group in the thiophene ester moiety reduced activity. A preliminary pharmacokinetic study comparing 10a with vicagrel administered simultaneously as single oral doses (72 μmol/kg of each drug) to male Wistar rats showed 10a generated more of its active metabolite than vicagrel. These results suggest that 10a is a potentially superior antiplatelet agent with improved metabolic characteristics and bioactivity, and less dose-related toxicity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Communication
Cytotoxicity of Different Excipients on RPMI 2650 Human Nasal Epithelial Cells
by Tamás Horváth, Csilla Bartos, Alexandra Bocsik, Lóránd Kiss, Szilvia Veszelka, Mária A. Deli, Gabriella Újhelyi, Piroska Szabó-Révész and Rita Ambrus
Molecules 2016, 21(5), 658; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21050658 - 18 May 2016
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6065
Abstract
The nasal route receives a great deal of attention as a non-invasive method for the systemic administration of drugs. For nasal delivery, specific formulations containing excipients are used. Because of the sensitive respiratory mucosa, not only the active ingredients, but also additives need [...] Read more.
The nasal route receives a great deal of attention as a non-invasive method for the systemic administration of drugs. For nasal delivery, specific formulations containing excipients are used. Because of the sensitive respiratory mucosa, not only the active ingredients, but also additives need to be tested in appropriate models for toxicity. The aim of the study was to measure the cytotoxicity of six pharmaceutical excipients, which could help to reach larger residence time, better permeability, and increased solubility dissolution rate. The following excipients were investigated on RPMI 2650 human nasal septum tumor epithelial cells: β-d-mannitol, sodium hyaluronate, α and β-cyclodextrin, polyvinyl alcohol and methylcellulose. 3-(4,5-dimethyltiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) dye conversion assay and real-time impedance analysis were used to investigate cytotoxicity. No excipient showed toxicity at 0.3% (w/v) concentration or below while 1% concentration a significantly reduced metabolic activity was measured by MTT assay for methylcellulose and cyclodextrins. Using impedance measurements, only β-cyclodextrin (1%) was toxic to cells. Mannitol at 1% concentration had a barrier opening effect on epithelial cells, but caused no cellular damage. Based on the results, all additives at 0.3%, sodium hyaluronate and polyvinyl alcohol at 1% concentrations can be safely used for nasal formulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Identification of New Epididymal Luminal Fluid Proteins Involved in Sperm Maturation in Infertile Rats Treated by Dutasteride Using iTRAQ
by Shu-Wu Xie, Guo-Ting Li, Li-Juan Qu, Yang Cao, Qian Wang, Jie-Yun Zhou, Rui-Hua Zhong, Xiang-Jie Guo and Yan Zhu
Molecules 2016, 21(5), 602; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21050602 - 11 May 2016
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5784
Abstract
Background: Spermatozoa become mature and acquire fertilizing capacity during their passage through the epididymal lumen. In this study, we identified new epididymal luminal fluid proteins involved in sperm maturation in infertile rats by dutasteride, a dual 5α-reductase inhibitor, in order to provide [...] Read more.
Background: Spermatozoa become mature and acquire fertilizing capacity during their passage through the epididymal lumen. In this study, we identified new epididymal luminal fluid proteins involved in sperm maturation in infertile rats by dutasteride, a dual 5α-reductase inhibitor, in order to provide potential epididymal targets for new contraceptives and infertility treatment. Methods: Male rats were treated with dutasteride for 28 consecutive days. We observed the protein expression profiles in the epididymal luminal fluids in infertile and normal rats using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technique. The confidence of proteome data was validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: 1045 proteins were tested, and 23 of them presented different expression profiling in the infertile and normal rats. The seven proteins were down-regulated, and 16 proteins were up-regulated. Among the seven proteins which were significantly down-regulated by dutasteride in the epididymal luminal fluids, there were three β-defensins (Defb2, Defb18 and Defb39), which maybe the key proteins involved in epididymal sperm maturation and male fertility. Conclusions: We report for the first time that dutasteride influences the protein expression profiling in the epididymal luminal fluids of rats, and this result provides some new epididymal targets for male contraception and infertility therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Synthesis and Evaluation of Ester Derivatives of 10-Hydroxycanthin-6-one as Potential Antimicrobial Agents
by Fei Zhao, Jiang-Kun Dai, Dan Liu, Shi-Jun Wang and Jun-Ru Wang
Molecules 2016, 21(3), 390; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21030390 - 21 Mar 2016
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4847
Abstract
As part of our continuing research on canthin-6-one antimicrobial agents, a new series of ester derivatives of 10-hydroxycanthin-6-one were synthesized using a simple and effective synthetic route. The structure of each compound was characterized by NMR, ESI-MS, FT-IR, UV, and elemental analysis. The [...] Read more.
As part of our continuing research on canthin-6-one antimicrobial agents, a new series of ester derivatives of 10-hydroxycanthin-6-one were synthesized using a simple and effective synthetic route. The structure of each compound was characterized by NMR, ESI-MS, FT-IR, UV, and elemental analysis. The antimicrobial activity of these compounds against three phytopathogenic fungi (Alternaria solani, Fusarium graminearum, and Fusarium solani) and four bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Ralstonia solanacearum, and Pseudomonas syringae) were evaluated using the mycelium linear growth rate method and micro-broth dilution method, respectively. The structure-activity relationship is discussed. Of the tested compounds, 4 and 7s displayed significant antifungal activity against F. graminearum, with inhibition rates of 100% at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. Compounds 5, 7s, and 7t showed the best inhibitory activity against all the tested bacteria, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) between 3.91 and 31.25 μg/mL. Thus, 7s emerged as a promising lead compound for the development of novel canthine-6-one antimicrobial agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Benzothiazole Derivatives as Potential Anticonvulsant Agents
by Da-Chuan Liu, Hong-Jian Zhang, Chun-Mei Jin and Zhe-Shan Quan
Molecules 2016, 21(3), 164; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21030164 - 29 Feb 2016
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 6443
Abstract
New benztriazoles with a mercapto-triazole and other heterocycle substituents were synthesized and evaluated for their anticonvulsant activity and neurotoxicity by using the maximal electroshock (MES), subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scPTZ), and rotarod neurotoxicity (TOX) tests. Among the compounds studied, compound 2-((1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)-N-(6-((3-fluorobenzyl) oxy)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)acetamide (5i) and 2-((1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)-N-(6-((4-fluorobenzyl)oxy) [...] Read more.
New benztriazoles with a mercapto-triazole and other heterocycle substituents were synthesized and evaluated for their anticonvulsant activity and neurotoxicity by using the maximal electroshock (MES), subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scPTZ), and rotarod neurotoxicity (TOX) tests. Among the compounds studied, compound 2-((1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)-N-(6-((3-fluorobenzyl) oxy)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)acetamide (5i) and 2-((1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)-N-(6-((4-fluorobenzyl)oxy) benzo[d] thiazol-2-yl)acetmide (5j) were the most potent, with an ED50 value of 50.8 mg/kg and 54.8 mg/kg in the MES test and 76.0 mg/kg and 52.8 mg/kg in the scPTZ seizures test, respectively. They also showed lower neurotoxicity and, therefore a higher protective index. In particular, compound 5j showed high protective index (PI) values of 8.96 in the MES test and 9.30 in the scPTZ test, which were better than those of the standard drugs used as positive controls in this study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Some Novel Pyrrolizine Derivatives as COX Inhibitors with Anti-Inflammatory/Analgesic Activities and Low Ulcerogenic Liability
by Ahmed M. Gouda, Hamed I. Ali, Waleed H. Almalki, Mohamed A. Azim, Mohammed A. S. Abourehab and Ahmed H. Abdelazeem
Molecules 2016, 21(2), 201; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21020201 - 08 Feb 2016
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 8180
Abstract
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory and pain relief medications. However, their use is associated with many drawbacks, including mainly serious gastric and renal complications. In an attempt to circumvent these risks, a set of N-(4-bromophenyl)-7-cyano-6-substituted-H-pyrrolizine-5-carboxamide [...] Read more.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory and pain relief medications. However, their use is associated with many drawbacks, including mainly serious gastric and renal complications. In an attempt to circumvent these risks, a set of N-(4-bromophenyl)-7-cyano-6-substituted-H-pyrrolizine-5-carboxamide derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated as dual COX/5-LOX inhibitors. The structural elucidation, in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities using a carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model and hot plate assay, were performed, respectively. From the results obtained, it was found that the newly synthesized pyrrolizines exhibited IC50 values in the range of 2.45–5.69 µM and 0.85–3.44 µM for COX-1 and COX-2, respectively. Interestingly, compounds 12, 13, 16 and 17 showed higher anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities compared to ibuprofen. Among these derivatives, compounds 16 and 19 displayed better safety profile than ibuprofen in acute ulcerogenicity and histopathological studies. Furthermore, the docking studies revealed that compound 17 fits nicely into COX-1 and COX-2 binding sites with the highest binding affinity, while compound 16 exerted the highest binding affinity for 5-LOX. In light of these findings, these novel pyrrolizine-5-carboxamide derivatives represent a promising scaffold for further development into potential dual COX/5-LOX inhibitors with safer gastric profile. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Self Organizing Map-Based Classification of Cathepsin k and S Inhibitors with Different Selectivity Profiles Using Different Structural Molecular Fingerprints: Design and Application for Discovery of Novel Hits
by Saleh K. Ihmaid, Hany E. A. Ahmed, Mohamed F. Zayed and Mohammed M. Abadleh
Molecules 2016, 21(2), 175; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21020175 - 30 Jan 2016
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5520
Abstract
The main step in a successful drug discovery pipeline is the identification of small potent compounds that selectively bind to the target of interest with high affinity. However, there is still a shortage of efficient and accurate computational methods with powerful capability to [...] Read more.
The main step in a successful drug discovery pipeline is the identification of small potent compounds that selectively bind to the target of interest with high affinity. However, there is still a shortage of efficient and accurate computational methods with powerful capability to study and hence predict compound selectivity properties. In this work, we propose an affordable machine learning method to perform compound selectivity classification and prediction. For this purpose, we have collected compounds with reported activity and built a selectivity database formed of 153 cathepsin K and S inhibitors that are considered of medicinal interest. This database has three compound sets, two K/S and S/K selective ones and one non-selective KS one. We have subjected this database to the selectivity classification tool ‘Emergent Self-Organizing Maps’ for exploring its capability to differentiate selective cathepsin inhibitors for one target over the other. The method exhibited good clustering performance for selective ligands with high accuracy (up to 100 %). Among the possibilites, BAPs and MACCS molecular structural fingerprints were used for such a classification. The results exhibited the ability of the method for structure-selectivity relationship interpretation and selectivity markers were identified for the design of further novel inhibitors with high activity and target selectivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
A SILAC-Based Approach Elicits the Proteomic Responses to Vancomycin-Associated Nephrotoxicity in Human Proximal Tubule Epithelial HK-2 Cells
by Zhi-Ling Li and Shu-Feng Zhou
Molecules 2016, 21(2), 148; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21020148 - 29 Jan 2016
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 7792
Abstract
Vancomycin, a widely used antibiotic, often induces nephrotoxicity, however, the molecular targets and underlying mechanisms of this side effect remain unclear. The present study aimed to examine molecular interactome and analyze the signaling pathways related to the vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity in human proximal tubule [...] Read more.
Vancomycin, a widely used antibiotic, often induces nephrotoxicity, however, the molecular targets and underlying mechanisms of this side effect remain unclear. The present study aimed to examine molecular interactome and analyze the signaling pathways related to the vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity in human proximal tubule epithelial HK-2 cells using the stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) approach. The quantitative proteomic study revealed that there were at least 492 proteins interacting with vancomycin and there were 290 signaling pathways and cellular functions potentially regulated by vancomycin in HK-2 cells. These proteins and pathways played a critical role in the regulation of cell cycle, apoptosis, autophagy, EMT, and ROS generation. These findings suggest that vancomycin-induced proteomic responses in HK-2 cells involvefunctional proteins and pathways that regulate cell cycle, apoptosis, autophagy, and redox homeostasis. This is the first systemic study revealed the networks of signaling pathways and proteomic responses to vancomycin treatment in HK-2 cells, and the data may be used to discriminate the molecular and clinical subtypes and to identify new targets and biomarkers for vancomycin-induced nephrotoxic effect. Further studies are warranted to explore the potential of quantitative proteomic analysis in the identification of new targets and biomarkers for drug-induced renal toxicity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
iPPBS-Opt: A Sequence-Based Ensemble Classifier for Identifying Protein-Protein Binding Sites by Optimizing Imbalanced Training Datasets
by Jianhua Jia, Zi Liu, Xuan Xiao, Bingxiang Liu and Kuo-Chen Chou
Molecules 2016, 21(1), 95; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21010095 - 19 Jan 2016
Cited by 150 | Viewed by 7871
Abstract
Knowledge of protein-protein interactions and their binding sites is indispensable for in-depth understanding of the networks in living cells. With the avalanche of protein sequences generated in the postgenomic age, it is critical to develop computational methods for identifying in a timely fashion [...] Read more.
Knowledge of protein-protein interactions and their binding sites is indispensable for in-depth understanding of the networks in living cells. With the avalanche of protein sequences generated in the postgenomic age, it is critical to develop computational methods for identifying in a timely fashion the protein-protein binding sites (PPBSs) based on the sequence information alone because the information obtained by this way can be used for both biomedical research and drug development. To address such a challenge, we have proposed a new predictor, called iPPBS-Opt, in which we have used: (1) the K-Nearest Neighbors Cleaning (KNNC) and Inserting Hypothetical Training Samples (IHTS) treatments to optimize the training dataset; (2) the ensemble voting approach to select the most relevant features; and (3) the stationary wavelet transform to formulate the statistical samples. Cross-validation tests by targeting the experiment-confirmed results have demonstrated that the new predictor is very promising, implying that the aforementioned practices are indeed very effective. Particularly, the approach of using the wavelets to express protein/peptide sequences might be the key in grasping the problem’s essence, fully consistent with the findings that many important biological functions of proteins can be elucidated with their low-frequency internal motions. To maximize the convenience of most experimental scientists, we have provided a step-by-step guide on how to use the predictor’s web server (http://www.jci-bioinfo.cn/iPPBS-Opt) to get the desired results without the need to go through the complicated mathematical equations involved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Synthesis of Canthardin Sulfanilamides and Their Acid Anhydride Analogues via a Ring-Opening Reaction of Activated Aziridines and Their Associated Pharmacological Effects
by Ling-Ling Chiang, Ing-Jy Tseng, Pen-Yuan Lin, Shiow-Yunn Sheu, Ching-Tung Lin, Yun-Han Hsieh, Yi-Jing Lin, Hsiao-Ling Chen and Mei-Hsiang Lin
Molecules 2016, 21(1), 100; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21010100 - 16 Jan 2016
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6061
Abstract
The cantharidinimide derivatives, 5ah, including sulfanilamides containing pyrimidyl, pyrazinyl, hydrogen, thiazolyl, and oxazolyl groups were synthesized. Modification of cantharidinimide by means of the reaction of activated aziridine ring opening led to the discovery of a novel class of antitumor compounds. [...] Read more.
The cantharidinimide derivatives, 5ah, including sulfanilamides containing pyrimidyl, pyrazinyl, hydrogen, thiazolyl, and oxazolyl groups were synthesized. Modification of cantharidinimide by means of the reaction of activated aziridine ring opening led to the discovery of a novel class of antitumor compounds. The analogues 10ik, 11ln, 12op, and 16qs were obtained from treating cantharidinimide 6 and analogues (7, 8, and 13) with activated aziridines, which produced a series of ring-opened products including normal and abnormal types. Some of these compounds showed cytotoxic effects in vitro against HL-60, Hep3B, MCF7, and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells. The most potent cytostatic compound, N-cantharidinimido-sulfamethazine (5a), exhibited anti-HL-60 and anti-Hep3B cell activities. Two compounds 5g and 5h displayed slight effects on the Hep3B cell line, while the other compounds produced no response in these four cell lines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Chemical Structure-Related Drug-Like Criteria of Global Approved Drugs
by Fei Mao, Wei Ni, Xiang Xu, Hui Wang, Jing Wang, Min Ji and Jian Li
Molecules 2016, 21(1), 75; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21010075 - 12 Jan 2016
Cited by 64 | Viewed by 9649
Abstract
The chemical structure of a drug determines its physicochemical properties, further determines its ADME/Tox properties, and ultimately affects its pharmacological activity. Medicinal chemists can regulate the pharmacological activity of drug molecules by modifying their structure. Ring systems and functional groups are important components [...] Read more.
The chemical structure of a drug determines its physicochemical properties, further determines its ADME/Tox properties, and ultimately affects its pharmacological activity. Medicinal chemists can regulate the pharmacological activity of drug molecules by modifying their structure. Ring systems and functional groups are important components of a drug. The proportion of non-hydrocarbon atoms among non-hydrogen atoms reflects the heavy atoms proportion of a drug. The three factors have considerable potential for the assessment of the drug-like properties of organic molecules. However, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no studies to systematically analyze the simultaneous effects of the number of aromatic and non-aromatic rings, the number of some special functional groups and the proportion of heavy atoms on the drug-like properties of an organic molecule. To this end, the numbers of aromatic and non-aromatic rings, the numbers of some special functional groups and the heavy atoms proportion of 6891 global approved small drugs have been comprehensively analyzed. We first uncovered three important structure-related criteria closely related to drug-likeness, namely: (1) the best numbers of aromatic and non-aromatic rings are 2 and 1, respectively; (2) the best functional groups of candidate drugs are usually -OH, -COOR and -COOH in turn, but not -CONHOH, -SH, -CHO and -SO3H. In addition, the -F functional group is beneficial to CNS drugs, and -NH2 functional group is beneficial to anti-infective drugs and anti-cancer drugs; (3) the best R value intervals of candidate drugs are in the range of 0.05–0.50 (preferably 0.10–0.35), and R value of the candidate CNS drugs should be as small as possible in this interval. We envision that the three chemical structure-related criteria may be applicable in a prospective manner for the identification of novel candidate drugs and will provide a theoretical foundation for designing new chemical entities with good drug-like properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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Article
Design, Synthesis, DFT Study and Antifungal Activity of Pyrazolecarboxamide Derivatives
by Jin-Xia Mu, Yan-Xia Shi, Ming-Yan Yang, Zhao-Hui Sun, Xing-Hai Liu, Bao-Ju Li and Na-Bo Sun
Molecules 2016, 21(1), 68; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules21010068 - 08 Jan 2016
Cited by 62 | Viewed by 7629
Abstract
A series of novel pyrazole amide derivatives were designed and synthesized by multi-step reactions from phenylhydrazine and ethyl 3-oxobutanoate as starting materials, and their structures were characterized by NMR, MS and elemental analysis. The antifungal activity of the title compounds was determined. The [...] Read more.
A series of novel pyrazole amide derivatives were designed and synthesized by multi-step reactions from phenylhydrazine and ethyl 3-oxobutanoate as starting materials, and their structures were characterized by NMR, MS and elemental analysis. The antifungal activity of the title compounds was determined. The results indicated that some of title compounds exhibited moderate antifungal activity. Furthermore, DFT calculations were used to study the structure-activity relationships (SAR). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Design and Discovery: Principles and Applications)
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