1. Structure-based computational design of novel covalent binders for the treatment of sickle cell disease.
- Author
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Ogunlana AT, Boyenle ID, Ojo TO, Quadri BO, Elegbeleye OE, Ogbonna HN, Ayoola SO, Badmus IO, Manica AK, Joshua KI, Onikute OW, Anamelechi JP, Odetunde A, Falusi AG, and Oyedele AK
- Subjects
- Humans, Benzaldehydes pharmacokinetics, Benzaldehydes therapeutic use, Pyrazines pharmacokinetics, Pyrazines therapeutic use, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Hemoglobins therapeutic use, Molecular Docking Simulation, Anemia, Sickle Cell drug therapy
- Abstract
The quest in finding an everlasting panacea to the pernicious impact of sickle cell disease (SCD) in the society hit a turn of success since the recent discovery of a small molecule reversible covalent inhibitor, Voxelotor. A drug that primarily promotes the stability of oxygenated hemoglobin and inhibit the polymerization of HbS by enhancing hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen has opened a new frontier in drug discovery and development. Despite eminent efforts made to reproduce small molecules with better therapeutic targets, none has been successful. To this end, we employed the use of structure-based computational techniques with emphasis on the electrophilic warhead group of Voxelotor to harness novel covalent binders that could elicit better therapeutic response against HbS. The PubChem database and DataWarrior software were used to design random molecules using Voxelotor's electrophilic functionality. Following the compilation of these chemical entities, a high-throughput covalent docking-based virtual screening campaign was conducted which revealed three (Compound_166, Compound_2301, and Compound_2335) putative druglike candidates with higher baseline energy value compared to the standard drug. Subsequently, in silico ADMET profiling was carried out to evaluate their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties, and their stability was evaluated for 1 μs (1 μs) using molecular dynamics simulation. Finally, to prioritize these compounds for further development in drug discovery, MM/PBSA calculations was employed to evaluate their molecular interactions and solvation energy within the HbS protein. Despite the admirable druglike and stability properties of these compounds, further experimental validations are required to establish their preclinical relevance for drug development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2023
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