Drug discovery and computational strategies in the multitarget drugs era

The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly joining chemoinformatics in the search for the development of new drugs to be used in the treatment of diseases. These computational studies have the advantage of being less expensive and optimize the study time, and thus the interest in this area is increasing. Among the techniques used is the development of multitarget directed ligands (MTDLs), which has become an ascending technique, mainly due to the improvement in the quality of treatment involving several drugs. Multitarget therapy is more effective than traditional drug therapy that emphasizes maximum selectivity for a single target. In this review a multitarget drug survey was carried out as a promising strategy in several important diseases: neglected diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, AIDS, and cancer. In addition, we discuss Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) techniques as a tool in the projection of multitarget compounds against these diseases

Application of Medicinal Chemistry Methods on Different Classes of Drugs

The present doctoral thesis is the result of the work carried out during the three years of my PhD scholarship at the Rome Center for Molecular Design laboratory (RCMD, Department of Chemistry and Drug Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome), under the supervision of Prof. Rino Ragno. The research activity was focused mainly on the design, optimization and application of computational strategies to derive quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR, 3-D QSAR, and COMBINE) on different molecular classes of current interest, such as: opioid receptor antagonists (OPAs), Hepatitis C Virus NS5B-Polymerase Inhibitors (NS5B-NNIs), Hystone Deacetylase Inhibitors (HDACIs), Anti- tubercular agents, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) inhibitors, HSP90 inhibitors, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), Bovine Serum Amine Oxidase (BSAO) substrates, etc... Moreover two research periods abroad were performed: the first framed in a LLP Erasmus program collaboration, was conducted for six months at the Laboratoire d'Ingénierie et Moléculaire Pharmacologique Biochimie (LIMBP) of the Université de Lorraine Metz (France), directed by Prof. Gilbert Kirsch, and characterized by the application of organic synthesis to obtain new thienopyrimidinone derivatives as potential inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2); the second took place, for three months, at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics in Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis (MO, USA), under the supervision of Prof. Garland R. Marshall, investigating the activity profile of new Histone Deacetylases (HDACs) inhibitors by the application of the Mobility Shift Assay Technology. Main purpose of this doctoral thesis is to highlight the activities carried out in the different research projects, the applied methodologies and the obtained results. The text starts describing those studies whose results were published in scientific journals (chapters I-VI): the author decided to omit some procedural details, completely reported in the published papers, that would make the text too long, tedious and redundant; therefore readers who want to delve these aspects can also refer to Chapter XII in which is possible to read the original papers; on the contrary for studies that have not yet been published, as those characterizing the Chapters VII and VIII, discussion is adequately detailed. Chapters IX and X report the scientific activities carried out in France and in USA respectively; Chapter XI summarizes all the scientific activities accomplished during the entire PhD course, whereas Chapter XII, as mentioned, contains the published articles

Application of Medicinal Chemistry Methods on Different Classes of Drugs

The present doctoral thesis is the result of the work carried out during the three years of my PhD scholarship at the Rome Center for Molecular Design laboratory (RCMD, Department of Chemistry and Drug Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome), under the supervision of Prof. Rino Ragno. The research activity was focused mainly on the design, optimization and application of computational strategies to derive quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR, 3-D QSAR, and COMBINE) on different molecular classes of current interest, such as: opioid receptor antagonists (OPAs), Hepatitis C Virus NS5B-Polymerase Inhibitors (NS5B-NNIs), Hystone Deacetylase Inhibitors (HDACIs), Anti- tubercular agents, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) inhibitors, HSP90 inhibitors, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), Bovine Serum Amine Oxidase (BSAO) substrates, etc... Moreover two research periods abroad were performed: the first framed in a LLP Erasmus program collaboration, was conducted for six months at the Laboratoire d'Ingénierie et Moléculaire Pharmacologique Biochimie (LIMBP) of the Université de Lorraine Metz (France), directed by Prof. Gilbert Kirsch, and characterized by the application of organic synthesis to obtain new thienopyrimidinone derivatives as potential inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2); the second took place, for three months, at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics in Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis (MO, USA), under the supervision of Prof. Garland R. Marshall, investigating the activity profile of new Histone Deacetylases (HDACs) inhibitors by the application of the Mobility Shift Assay Technology. Main purpose of this doctoral thesis is to highlight the activities carried out in the different research projects, the applied methodologies and the obtained results. The text starts describing those studies whose results were published in scientific journals (chapters I-VI): the author decided to omit some procedural details, completely reported in the published papers, that would make the text too long, tedious and redundant; therefore readers who want to delve these aspects can also refer to Chapter XII in which is possible to read the original papers; on the contrary for studies that have not yet been published, as those characterizing the Chapters VII and VIII, discussion is adequately detailed. Chapters IX and X report the scientific activities carried out in France and in USA respectively; Chapter XI summarizes all the scientific activities accomplished during the entire PhD course, whereas Chapter XII, as mentioned, contains the published articles

Development Of Database And Computational Methods For Disease Detection And Drug Discovery

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

High performance computational virtual screening tools: development and application to the discovery of kinase inhibitors

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Peptide Drug Discovery: Innovative Technologies and Transformational Medicines

Interest in peptide drug discovery is surging. In the past several years,numerous pharmaceutical and biotech companies have committed considerable resources to peptide-based drug discovery. In part,this is being fueled by an increasing recognition that peptide drugs combine many of the virtues of small molecules and proteins, while minimizing several of their drawbacks, and that peptides can potentially expand the druggable space to include intracellular, extracellular and membrane associated protein–protein interactions. Moreover, powerful new in vitro and in silico technologies and breakthroughs in our understanding of natural peptides have emerged that provide peptide chemists with the toolsand insights they need to solve the various pharmacokinetic problems that often plague peptide drug discovery efforts. From stapled peptides,to highly versatile macrocyclic peptides and disulfide-rich peptides, to other peptides with various nonstandard chemistries, peptides are poised to fulfill their promise of providing a drug class that straddles the chemical space between small molecules and proteins, ultimately resulting in transformational medicines and improved clinical outcomes

Multi-target selection and high throughput quantitative structure-activity relationship model development

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

In silico Methods for Design of Kinase Inhibitors as Anticancer Drugs

Rational drug design implies usage of molecular modeling techniques such as pharmacophore modeling, molecular dynamics, virtual screening, and molecular docking to explain the activity of biomolecules, define molecular determinants for interaction with the drug target, and design more efficient drug candidates. Kinases play an essential role in cell function and therefore are extensively studied targets in drug design and discovery. Kinase inhibitors are clinically very important and widely used antineoplastic drugs. In this review, computational methods used in rational drug design of kinase inhibitors are discussed and compared, considering some representative case studies

Exploring the Role of Molecular Dynamics Simulations in Most Recent Cancer Research: Insights into Treatment Strategies

Cancer is a complex disease that is characterized by uncontrolled growth and division of cells. It involves a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors that lead to the initiation and progression of tumors. Recent advances in molecular dynamics simulations have revolutionized our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer initiation and progression. Molecular dynamics simulations enable researchers to study the behavior of biomolecules at an atomic level, providing insights into the dynamics and interactions of proteins, nucleic acids, and other molecules involved in cancer development. In this review paper, we provide an overview of the latest advances in molecular dynamics simulations of cancer cells. We will discuss the principles of molecular dynamics simulations and their applications in cancer research. We also explore the role of molecular dynamics simulations in understanding the interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment, including signaling pathways, proteinprotein interactions, and other molecular processes involved in tumor initiation and progression. In addition, we highlight the current challenges and opportunities in this field and discuss the potential for developing more accurate and personalized simulations. Overall, this review paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of molecular dynamics simulations in cancer research, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer initiation and progression.Comment: 49 pages, 2 figure