Current Computer - Aided Drug Design - Online First

Radiation Dermatitis (RD) is a common complication of radiation therapy, with approximately 90% of patients experiencing moderate to severe radiation dermatitis injury after radiotherapy. Jiedu Shengji oil (JDSJY) is a commonly used herbal topical preparation in our hospital, with remarkable clinical efficacy in treating radiation dermatitis. However, the mechanism of JDSJY in treating RD is unclear.

The aim of the study is to explore JDSJY's mechanism of action in treating RD through methods, such as network pharmacology and in vivo experiments.

The active components and disease targets of JDSJY were screened and intersected via network pharmacology for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. The pharmacodynamics of JDSJY was evaluated by establishing a rat model of RD.

Network pharmacology showed that the pathway network of JDSJY action involved 64 targets and 6 pathways and might act by targeting key targets, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and regulating the MAPK signalling pathway. In addition, in vivo experiments showed that JDSJY reduced skin inflammation and inhibited apoptosis, significantly ameliorated mitochondrial damage in keratinocytes, and reduced the levels of antioxidant-related indicators.

Comprehensive network pharmacology and in vivo experiments revealed that JDSJY's therapeutic efficacy in RD is mediated by ameliorating oxidative stress and maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis in keratinocytes.

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR TK) is a primary target for inhibiting cellular signal transduction in several types of cancer. Numerous EGFR TK inhibitors have been developed and approved as standard therapy for cancer management. However, the development of drug resistance and significant adverse effects have encouraged the search for alternative EGFR TK inhibitors.

This study attempted to identify 2,4-diaryl-6-styrylpyridine derivatives as alternative orthosteric-allosteric EGFR TK inhibitors through molecular docking, molecular dynamic simulation, binding free energy calculation, and pharmacokinetic properties analysis.

Two series of 2,4-diaryl-6-styrylpyridine derivatives were docked in orthosteric and allosteric sites of EGFR TK. Docking results were validated through molecular dynamic simulation and binding free energy calculation using YASARA Structure. Pharmacokinetic properties were analyzed using web-based free servers SwissADME and ADMETLab 3.0.

The molecular docking studies revealed relatively strong affinity, with binding energy ranging from -10.2 to -12.2 kcal/mol in the orthosteric site and from -7.7 to -10.9 kcal/mol in the allosteric site of EGFR TK. The proposed ligand complexes with the highest binding energy and proper hydrogen bonds showed comparable stability and binding free energy than native ligand complexes. The pharmacokinetic properties of the proposed ligands indicated relatively poor characteristics due to relatively high lipophilicity and certain toxicophores.

This study identified NASP06 and NASP01 as the most stable orthosteric and allosteric inhibitors of EGFR TK, respectively. These findings revealed a novel class of EGFR TK inhibitors capable of interacting with both orthosteric and allosteric sites.

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is a multiple-phase carcinogenic disease that concurrently involves malignant lesions, invasion, and metastasis. It has been reported that Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes play a significant role in the progression of OSCC and other fatal cancers through the process of ubiquitination. Among them, UBE2D1 represents a promising target for therapeutic intervention. Strategies aimed at inhibiting UBE2D1 could restore the function of tumor suppressors, such as p53, and potentially enhance the effectiveness of existing cancer therapies.

This study aims to discover the potential natural inhibitors of UBE2D1 from an extensive chemical library through computational techniques.

This study utilized in silico methods, such as virtual screening, molecular docking, analysis of pharmacokinetic parameters, and molecular dynamics simulation, to discover the most effective inhibitors for the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme.

Based on binding affinity, the top six compounds, ZINC15113777, ZINC225461658, ZINC107430641, ZINC259440, ZINC4025306, and ZINC107283931, were found to be the best for the selected target. Also, molecular dynamic simulation results showed that all these compounds form stable complexes with UBE2D1.

Based on our analysis of the results, we have determined that natural products, specifically ZINC15113777, ZINC4025306, and ZINC107283931, have the ability to inhibit UBE2D1 efficiently and could be utilized as potential drugs for the treatment of OSCC and other cancers. Such approaches may help to reinstate normal apoptotic pathways and improve overall treatment outcomes in patients with cancers characterized by UBE2D1 dysregulation. Additionally, conducting in-vitro/vivo studies on these molecules could be a prospective avenue in the realm of pharmaceutical research.

The global spread of Strongyloides stercoralis has escalated public health concerns, affecting over 600 million people worldwide. The rise in global migration has heightened the risk of transmission, underscoring the urgent need for effective treatment options.

This study aimed to investigate ten polyphenolic phytochemicals derived from Mangifera indica as potential alternatives to combat S. stercoralis.

The efficacy of these compounds was evaluated using computational techniques, including density functional theory (DFT) analysis, molecular docking, adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) assessment, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

DFT calculations revealed significant chemical reactivity in compounds such as kaempferol, ellagic acid, quercetin, norathyriol, mangiferin, and ferulic acid. Molecular docking identified mangiferin, quercetin, kaempferol, and norathyriol as top candidates for targeting key proteins (DAF-12) linked to S. stercoralis infection. A 200-ns MD simulation of the protein-ligand complex demonstrated the stability and binding behavior of these compounds compared to the reference drug, thiabendazole. ADMET screening confirmed their drug-likeness. Notably, quercetin and mangiferin exhibited strong binding affinities (∆Gbind = -42.35 and -54.57 kcal/mol, respectively), outperforming thiabendazole (∆Gbind = -28.94 kcal/mol).

Quercetin and mangiferin emerge as promising alternatives to thiabendazole, offering favorable chemical reactivity, potent inhibition constants, and strong biological activity for the treatment of S. stercoralis.

The function of HOXC antisense RNA 1 (HOXC-AS1) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains largely unexplored.

The objective of this research was to examine the relationship between HOXC-AS1 levels and LUAD through both bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation.

We employed statistical methods and bioinformatics to evaluate the correlation between HOXC-AS1 expression and various clinical features, survival predictors, regulatory mechanisms, and immune cell infiltration in LUAD. The levels of HOXC-AS1 in LUAD cell lines were ascertained through quantitative reverse transcription PCR.

HOXC-AS1 displayed significantly increased expression in individuals with LUAD. There was a significant correlation between high HOXC-AS1 levels and diminished overall survival in LUAD patients, characterized by a hazard ratio of 0.66, a 95% confidence interval of 0.49 to 0.88, and a statistically significant P-value (0.005). An elevated expression of HOXC-AS1 was found to be a standalone predictor of poor overall survival in LUAD patients, with a P-value of 0.002. HOXC-AS1 was found to be implicated in various pathways, such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and asthma, among others. The study revealed a substantial link between high HOXC-AS1 expression and unfavorable outcomes in LUAD, including poor survival and altered immune cell infiltration. LUAD cell lines exhibited a marked increase in HOXC-AS1 expression compared to the Beas-2B normal lung cell line.

The research indicated a strong association between higher levels of HOXC-AS1 and negative outcomes in LUAD, such as reduced survival rates and the presence of immune cell infiltration. HOXC-AS1 could potentially be utilized as a biomarker to anticipate patient prognosis and their likelihood of responding to immunotherapies in LUAD.

The extended IL-1 activity is implicated in autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, and Parkinson's disease, as well as delayed wound healing. Additionally, it can result in cytokine storms during pathogenic infections.

The regulation was carried out by Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), a key anti-inflammatory molecule. IL-1RA serves as a decoy protein that competes with Interleukin-1 receptors (IL-1RI and IL-1RII) for binding, effectively counteracting the activity of Interleukin-1 (IL-1). The deficiency was substantiated by commercially available recombinant IL-1RA called Anakinra. The main problem with the existing drug is that it has less pharmacokinetics and reduced binding affinity to its receptor, which requires frequent administration of the drug. To overcome these drawbacks, we have designed a new fusion protein by adding an Fc fragment of Human IgGI fused with IL-1RA using a linker in between, and the design aimed to transport the protein into the N-glycosylation pathway. These characteristic features increase the pharmacokinetics, solubility, and binding efficiency of the protein. As the protein was designed to be expressed in a eukaryotic system, to understand the possibility of the proposed hypothesis, we used machine learning-based AlphaFold2 to model the protein structure and molecular simulation studies to understand the functional integrity of the designed protein.

The in silico results showed that the modeled fusion protein structure has very good binding to its receptor with the support of 21 H bonds and 7 salt bridges and maintained the binding stability over the MD simulations.

These findings support fusion protein’s potential as a promising and stable therapeutic candidate.

Acute pharyngitis (AP) is a prevalent ailment. Gynostemma pentaphylla (GP), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), may treat AP due to its anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties, but this remains unexplored.

This study utilized the TCMSP and Swiss Target Prediction databases to analyze GP's chemical composition and target proteins. The Genecards database was used to identify targets relevant to AP. A PPI network diagram of drug-disease intersection targets was created using the STRING database, and Cytoscape was utilized to create a network visualization diagram of “GP active components-targets-AP” in order to determine key active components of GP in treating AP. Gene ontology (GO) and biological pathway (KEGG) enrichment analyses were conducted on targets in the David database. Molecular docking verification of key targets and components was performed using AutoDock Vina software. In animal experiments, a rat model of AP was induced by a 15% concentrated ammonia solution, and HE staining was conducted to observe histopathological changes in the rat pharynx after intragastric administration of Houyanqing. ELISA was used to detect expression levels of serum interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α).

A total of 18 active ingredients were screened from GP, among which Ruvoside _ qt, Rhamnazin, 3 ' -methyleriodictyol, and sitosterol were five key active ingredients. The key targets involved EGFR, STAT3, MAPK3, SRC, AKT1, etc. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that GP mainly acted on Pathways in cancer, P13K-AKT signaling Pathways, JAK-STAT signaling pathways, and other signaling pathways. Molecular docking results showed that four core compounds and five key targets met the energy matching. Animal experiments showed that compared with the normal group, the expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the AP model group were significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05). In addition, compared with the model group, intragastric administration of the dexamethasone group and gypenosides group could alleviate the up-regulation of inflammatory factors in model rats, and the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were decreased (P < 0.05).

This study predicted the possible targets of GP in the treatment of AP through network pharmacology. The results suggest that gypenosides may inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors by regulating Pathways in cancer, P13K-AKT, and JAK-STAT signaling pathways to treat AP.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli presents a significant challenge in clinical settings, necessitating the exploration of novel therapeutic agents. Phytochemicals from Punica granatum (pomegranate) leaves have shown potential antibacterial properties. This study aims to identify and evaluate the efficacy of these phytochemicals against MDR E. coli

This study aims to identify and evaluate the efficacy of most potential phytochemical of Punica granatum leaf against MDR E. coli. through molecular docking, adme, toxicity, molecular dynamic simulation, MMPBSA and DFT approaches

We performed molecular docking of 11 phytochemicals from the IMPPAT database with four MDR E. coli targets: 1AJ6, 1FJ8, 4BJP, and 6BU3. Granatin B demonstrated the best binding affinity and was further analyzed. ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion) and toxicity analyses were conducted to assess its pharmacokinetic properties and safety profile. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to evaluate the stability of Granatin B with the targets. Finally, density functional theory (DFT) analysis was carried out to understand the electronic properties and reactivity of Granatin B

Granatin B exhibited the highest binding affinity among the 11 phytochemicals, indicating strong potential as an inhibitor of MDR E. coli. ADME analysis revealed favorable pharmacokinetic properties and toxicity analysis confirmed that Granatin B is non-toxic. MD simulations showed stable interactions between Granatin B and all four targets. DFT analysis provided insights into the electronic properties and reactive sites of Granatin B, supporting its potential mechanism of action

Granatin B from Punica granatum leaves is a promising candidate for treating MDR E. coli infections. The integration of molecular docking, ADME, toxicity, MD simulations, and DFT analysis underscores its therapeutic potential and paves the way for further experimental validation and development as a novel antibacterial agent

Liver fibrosis, a chronic liver disease, threatens people's health, increases the burden of healthcare, and currently lacks effective treatment measures. Bugantang (BGT) is a traditional Chinese herbal prescription from Jin Kui Yi with promising potential for treating liver fibrosis. Despite this potential, the efficacy and mechanism for treating liver fibrosis remain unclear.

To primarily prove the efficacy, predict the active components of BGT, and explore the mechanism of BGT on liver fibrosis.

The liver condition of CCL4-induced mice was examined using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The targets and active compounds of BGT were sourced from HERB and TCMSP databases, while the targets related to liver fibrosis were acquired from DisGeNET, Gene Expression Omnibus, and GeneCards databases. The core targets were identified, and the network of protein-protein interactions was established. KEGG and GO analyses were performed on DAVID. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations assessed the active components’ interactions with potential targets.

A total of 215 targets and 152 active compounds were identified for BGT. The network analysis identified kaempferol, quercetin, 2-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-7-hydroxy-4H-chromen-4-one, sitosterol, naringenin, adenosine, plo, and beta-sitosterol as potential key compounds, and AKT1, MMP9, SRC, TNF, ESR1, NF-κB, and PPARG as potential key targets. KEGG and GO analyses revealed that the therapeutic effect of BGT on liver fibrosis may be associated with the PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling pathways, as well as cell apoptosis, protein phosphorylation, and inflammation. Molecular docking demonstrated high-affinity binding of the identified targets to the active compounds. Additionally, molecular dynamics simulation further confirmed that the bindings of AKT1-beta-sitosterol and MMP9-quercetin exhibited good stability.

The potential of BGT in alleviating liver fibrosis may be attributed to a combination of various active compounds, targets, and pathways. These results could support the use of BGT in treating liver fibrosis and facilitate the development of new drug candidates for this condition.

DENV NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitors were designed based upon the reference molecule, 4-(1,3-dioxoisoindolin-2-yl)-N-(4-ethylphenyl) benzenesulfonamide, reported by our team with the aim to optimize lead compound via rational approach. Top five best scoring molecules with zinc ids ZINC23504872, ZINC48412318, ZINC00413269, ZINC13998032 and ZINC75249613 bearing ‘pyrimidin-4(3H)-one’ basic scaffold have been identified as a promising candidate against DENV protease enzyme.

The shape and electrostatic complementary between identified HITs and reference molecules were found to be Tanimotoshape 0.453, 0.690, 0.680, 0.685 & 0.672 respectively and Tanimotoelectrostatic 0.211, 0.211, 0.441, 0.442, 0.442 and 0.442 respectively. The molecular docking studies suggested that the identified HITs displayed the good interactions with active site residues and lower binding energies. The stability of docked complexes was assessed by MD simulations studies. The RMSD values of protein backbone (1.6779, 3.1563, 3.3634, 3.3893 & 3.0960 Å) and protein backbone RMSF values (1.0126, 1.0834, 1.0890, 0.9974 & 1.0080 Å respectively) for all top five HITs were stable and molecules did not fluctuate from the active pocket during entire 100ns MD run.

The druggability Dscore below 1 indicate the tightly binding of ligand at the active site. Dscore for ZINC23504872 was found to be 1.084 while for the second class of compounds ZINC48412318, ZINC00413269, ZINC13998032 and ZINC75249613, 0.503, 0.484, 0.487 and 0.501 Dscores were observed. In-silico ADMET calculations suggested that all five HITs were possessed the drug likeliness properties and did not violate the Lipinski’s rule of five.

Summing up, these in-silico generated data suggested that the identified molecules bearing pyrimidin-4(3H)-one would be promising scaffold for DENV protease inhibitors. However, experimental results are needed to prove the obtained results.

NSCLC is the predominant form of lung cancer, often exhibiting resistance to chemotherapy. Thymol and citral have shown promise as anticancer agents in different cancer cell lines but have not been evaluated in combination against NSCLC. Hence, we planned to investigate the anticancer effect of thymol-citral combination and explore its mechanisms of action against A549 cells.

A549 cells were exposed to varying concentrations of thymol and citral, alone and in combination. Cell proliferation, plasma membrane integrity, apoptotic markers, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, cell cycle distribution, senescence induction, and migration potential were assessed. Additionally, in vitro safety was evaluated in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) and human red blood cells (RBCs).

Thymol and citral showed synergistic action against A549 cells, with a CI value of 0.75. After 24 h, they induced apoptosis, caused G0/G1 phase arrest, and increased ROS levels, suggesting oxidative stress as the mechanism. This combination also induced cell senescence, significantly inhibited A549 cell migration, and was non-toxic to human RBCs and HBECs.

Overall, the thymol-citral synergistic combination was found to be a safe and effective therapy option for non-small cell lung cancer.

Centipeda minima (CM) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for the treatment of sinusitis and rhinitis, and it possesses anti-cancer properties. However, the mechanism of CM in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear.

This study aimed to explore the mechanism of CM in the treatment of NPC using a network pharmacology approach.

The active components and targets of CM and NPC were screened using TCMSP, SwissTarget, and GeneCards database. The association between CM components and NPC targets or pathways was analyzed using String, Cytoscape 3.9.1, David 6.7, and AutoDock Vina. The Sangerbox platform was used to conduct differential expression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of core genes.

We identified 17 active compounds of CM and 146 corresponding targeted proteins in NPC. These targets may modulate pathways in cancer, PI3K-Akt, apoptosis, prolactin, relaxin, and TNF signaling. The top 5 core genes of the PPI network were found to be AKT1, STAT3, CASP3, EGFR, and SRC, which may be the main targets of CM in treating NPC. Molecular docking confirmed the binding energies of quercetin with CASP3, 8-Hydroxy-9,10-diisobutyryloxythymol with AKT1, and plenolin with AKT1, which were particularly low, suggesting robust and stable interactions. The expression levels of AKT1, CASP3, EGFR, SRC, MMP9, CCND1, and PTGS2 were significantly higher in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) samples compared to normal samples. In addition, the hub genes could predict the prognosis of HNSC as the Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that patients with lower expressions of AKT1, STAT3, CASP3, EGFR, MMP9, ESR1, PTGS2, and PPARG had better overall survival.

By conducting a network pharmacology approach, we revealed the main ingredients, key targets, and regulatory pathways of Centipeda minima in the treatment of NPC.

Shenfu injection was derived from the classical Chinese medicine formula ‘Shenfu decoction’, which was widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in clinical practice.

Predict the main active ingredients, core targets, and related signaling pathways of Shenfu injection in the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Databases were used to collect the active ingredients and target information of Shenfu injection; GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the David database. The effects of Shenfu injection on core targets were verified using molecular docking and in vivo experiments.

The predicted results identified 44 active ingredients and 635 targets in Shenfu injection, among which 418 targets, including TNF, IL-6, MAPK1, and MAPK14, were potential targets for the treatment of ischemic stroke. Molecular docking revealed that the active ingredients had good binding to IL-6, MAPK1, and MAPK14. In vivo experiments demonstrated that Shenfu injection significantly improved the pathological damage due to ischemic stroke, promoted the expression of tight junction proteins, and inhibited MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions, thereby reducing BBB permeability. Animal experiments revealed that Shenfu injection could inhibit p38、JNK and ERK phosphorylation.

Mechanism of Shenfu injection in treating ischemic stroke may be via inhibition of the inflammatory factors levels and protecting the BBB, thereby warranting subsequent studies and highlighting its potential as a reference for new drug development.