Antiviral Research,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
235, P. 106101 - 106101
Published: Feb. 7, 2025
The
global
response
to
the
COVID-19
pandemic,
caused
by
novel
SARS-CoV-2
virus,
has
seen
an
unprecedented
increase
in
development
of
antiviral
therapies.
Traditional
strategies
have
primarily
focused
on
direct-acting
antivirals
(DAAs),
which
specifically
target
viral
components.
In
recent
years,
increasing
attention
was
given
alternative
approach
aiming
exploit
host
cellular
pathways
or
immune
responses
inhibit
replication,
led
so-called
host-targeted
(HTAs).
emergence
and
promoted
a
boost
this
field.
Numerous
HTAs
been
tested
demonstrated
their
potential
against
through
vitro
vivo
studies.
However,
striking
contrast,
only
limited
number
successfully
progressed
advanced
clinical
trial
phases
(2-4),
even
less
entered
practice.
This
review
aims
explore
current
landscape
targeting
that
reached
phase
2-4
trials.
Additionally,
it
will
challenges
faced
gaining
regulatory
approval
market
availability.
Chemical Reviews,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
124(16), P. 9633 - 9732
Published: Aug. 13, 2024
Self-driving
laboratories
(SDLs)
promise
an
accelerated
application
of
the
scientific
method.
Through
automation
experimental
workflows,
along
with
autonomous
planning,
SDLs
hold
potential
to
greatly
accelerate
research
in
chemistry
and
materials
discovery.
This
review
provides
in-depth
analysis
state-of-the-art
SDL
technology,
its
applications
across
various
disciplines,
implications
for
industry.
additionally
overview
enabling
technologies
SDLs,
including
their
hardware,
software,
integration
laboratory
infrastructure.
Most
importantly,
this
explores
diverse
range
domains
where
have
made
significant
contributions,
from
drug
discovery
science
genomics
chemistry.
We
provide
a
comprehensive
existing
real-world
examples
different
levels
automation,
challenges
limitations
associated
each
domain.
Viruses,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
16(2), P. 184 - 184
Published: Jan. 25, 2024
Over
the
last
three
years,
pandemic
of
COVID-19
has
had
a
significant
impact
on
people’s
lives
and
global
economy.
The
incessant
emergence
variant
strains
compounded
challenges
associated
with
management
COVID-19.
As
predominant
from
late
2021
to
present,
Omicron
its
sublineages,
through
continuous
evolution,
have
demonstrated
iterative
viral
fitness.
comprehensive
elucidation
biological
implications
that
catalyzed
this
evolution
remains
incomplete.
In
accordance
extant
research
evidence,
we
provide
review
subvariants
Omicron,
delineating
alterations
in
immune
evasion,
cellular
infectivity,
cross-species
transmission
potential.
This
seeks
clarify
underpinnings
biology
within
SARS-CoV-2,
thereby
providing
foundation
for
strategic
considerations
post-pandemic
era
Current Opinion in Structural Biology,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
87, P. 102829 - 102829
Published: June 6, 2024
Structure-based
virtual
screening
aims
to
find
molecules
forming
favorable
interactions
with
a
biological
macromolecule
using
computational
models
of
complexes.
The
recent
surge
commercially
available
chemical
space
provides
the
opportunity
search
for
ligands
therapeutic
targets
among
billions
compounds.
This
review
offers
compact
overview
structure-based
screens
vast
spaces,
highlighting
successful
applications
in
early
drug
discovery
therapeutically
important
such
as
G
protein-coupled
receptors
and
viral
enzymes.
Emphasis
is
placed
on
strategies
explore
ultra-large
libraries
synergies
emerging
machine
learning
techniques.
current
opportunities
future
challenges
are
discussed,
indicating
that
this
approach
will
play
an
role
next-generation
pipeline.
Science Translational Medicine,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
16(738)
Published: March 13, 2024
Inhibitors
of
the
severe
acute
respiratory
syndrome
coronavirus
2
(SARS-CoV-2)
main
protease
(M
pro
)
such
as
nirmatrelvir
(NTV)
and
ensitrelvir
(ETV)
have
proven
effective
in
reducing
severity
COVID-19,
but
presence
resistance-conferring
mutations
sequenced
viral
genomes
raises
concerns
about
future
drug
resistance.
Second-generation
oral
drugs
that
retain
function
against
these
mutants
are
thus
urgently
needed.
We
hypothesized
covalent
hepatitis
C
virus
inhibitor
boceprevir
(BPV)
could
serve
basis
for
orally
bioavailable
inhibit
SARS-CoV-2
M
more
efficiently
than
existing
drugs.
Performing
structure-guided
modifications
BPV,
we
developed
a
picomolar-affinity
inhibitor,
ML2006a4,
with
antiviral
activity,
pharmacokinetics,
therapeutic
efficacy
similar
or
superior
to
those
NTV.
A
crucial
feature
ML2006a4
is
derivatization
ketoamide
reactive
group
improves
cell
permeability
bioavailability.
Last,
was
found
be
less
sensitive
several
cause
resistance
NTV
ETV
occur
natural
population.
Thus,
anticipatory
design
can
preemptively
address
potential
mechanisms
expand
treatment
options
variants.
Current
strategies
centred
on
either
merging
or
linking
initial
hits
from
fragment-based
drug
design
(FBDD)
crystallographic
screens
ignore
3D
structural
information.
We
show
that
an
algorithmic
approach
(Fragmenstein)
‘stitches’
the
ligand
atoms
this
information
together
can
provide
more
accurate
and
reliable
predictions
for
protein-ligand
complex
conformation
than
existing
methods
such
as
pharmacophore-constrained
docking.
This
works
under
assumption
of
conserved
binding:
when
a
larger
molecule
is
designed
containing
fragment
hit,
common
substructure
between
two
will
adopt
same
binding
mode.
Fragmenstein
takes
coordinates
ligands
experimental
screen
stitches
to
produce
novel
merged
compound,
uses
them
predict
provided
compound.
The
compound
then
energy
minimised
strong
constraints
obtain
structurally
plausible
method
successful
in
showing
importance
using
known
binders
predicting
derivative
compounds
through
retrospective
analysis
COVID
Moonshot
data.
It
has
also
had
real-world
application
hit-to-lead
screening,
yielding
sub-micromolar
merger
parent
single
round.
Protein Science,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
33(3)
Published: Feb. 15, 2024
The
goal
of
precision
medicine
is
to
utilize
our
knowledge
the
molecular
causes
disease
better
diagnose
and
treat
patients.
However,
there
a
substantial
mismatch
between
small
number
food
drug
administration
(FDA)-approved
drugs
annotated
coding
variants
compared
needs
medicine.
This
review
introduces
concept
physics-based
medicine,
scalable
framework
that
promises
improve
understanding
sequence-function
relationships
accelerate
discovery.
We
show
accounting
for
ensemble
structures
protein
adopts
in
solution
with
computer
simulations
overcomes
many
limitations
imposed
by
assuming
single
structure.
highlight
studies
dynamics
recent
methods
analysis
structural
ensembles.
These
demonstrate
differences
conformational
distributions
predict
functional
within
families
variants.
Thanks
new
computational
tools
are
providing
unprecedented
access
ensembles,
this
insight
may
enable
accurate
predictions
variant
pathogenicity
entire
libraries
further
explicitly
like
alchemical
free
energy
calculations
or
docking
Markov
state
models,
can
uncover
novel
lead
compounds.
To
conclude,
we
cryptic
pockets,
cavities
absent
experimental
structures,
provide
an
avenue
target
proteins
currently
considered
undruggable.
Taken
together,
provides
roadmap
field
science
Chemical Science,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
15(23), P. 8800 - 8812
Published: Jan. 1, 2024
In
this
work,
we
combined
Deep
Docking
and
free
energy
MD
simulations
for
the
in
silico
screening
experimental
validation
potential
inhibitors
of
leucine
rich
repeat
kinase
2
(LRRK2)
targeting
WD40
(WDR)
domain.
Nature Communications,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
16(1)
Published: Feb. 13, 2025
The
ever-evolving
SARS-CoV-2
variants
necessitate
the
development
of
additional
oral
antivirals.
This
study
presents
systematic
design
quinoline-containing
papain-like
protease
(PLpro)
inhibitors
as
potential
antiviral
drug
candidates.
By
leveraging
recently
discovered
Val70Ub
binding
site
in
PLpro,
we
designed
a
series
quinoline
analogs
demonstrating
potent
PLpro
inhibition
and
activity.
Notably,
X-ray
crystal
structures
6
lead
compounds
reveal
that
2-aryl
substitution
can
occupy
either
expected
or
BL2
groove
flipped
orientation.
vivo
Jun13296
exhibits
favorable
pharmacokinetic
properties
against
nirmatrelvir-resistant
mutants.
In
mouse
model
infection,
treatment
with
significantly
improves
survival,
reduces
body
weight
loss
lung
viral
titers,
prevents
tissue
damage.
These
results
underscore
promising
candidates,
instilling
hope
for
future
treatment.
inhibitor,
Jun13296,
displays
efficacy
infection
inhibits
mutants,
rendering
it
candidate.