Department of Clinical Pharmacology Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
Centre of Research Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
J Bioenerg Biomembr. 2024 Jun;56(3):247-259. doi: 10.1007/s10863-024-10013-2. Epub 2024 Mar 14.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, attributed to a complex etiology involving metabolic, genetic, and protein-related factors. Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), identified as a genetic risk factor, exhibits elevated levels linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. The lipoprotein(a) kringle domains have recently been identified as a potential target for the treatment of CVDs, in this study we utilized a fragment-based drug design approach to design a novel, potent, and safe inhibitor for lipoprotein(a) kringle domain. With the use of fragment library (61,600 fragments) screening, combined with analyses such as MM/GBSA, molecular dynamics simulation (MD), and principal component analysis, we successfully identified molecules effective against the kringle domains of Lipoprotein(a). The hybridization process (Breed) of the best fragments generated a novel 249 hybrid molecules, among them 77 exhibiting superior binding affinity (≤ -7 kcal/mol) compared to control AZ-02 (-6.9 kcal/mol), Importantly, the top ten molecules displayed high similarity to the control AZ-02. Among the top ten molecules, BR1 exhibited the best docking energy (-11.85 kcal/mol ), and higher stability within the protein LBS site, demonstrating the capability to counteract the pathophysiological effects of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]. Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted a similar trend of motion during the binding of BR1 and the control compound (AZ-02), limiting protein mobility and reducing conformational space. Moreover, ADMET analysis indicated favorable drug-like properties, with BR1 showing minimal violations of Lipinski's rules. Overall, the identified compounds hold promise as potential therapeutics, addressing a critical need in cardiovascular medicine. Further preclinical and clinical evaluations are needed to validate their efficacy and safety, potentially ushering in a new era of targeted therapies for CVDs.
心血管疾病 (CVDs) 是全球主要的死亡原因,其病因涉及代谢、遗传和蛋白质相关因素的复杂组合。脂蛋白 (a) (Lp(a)) 被确定为遗传风险因素,其水平升高与心血管疾病风险增加相关。脂蛋白 (a) 的kringle 结构域最近被确定为治疗 CVDs 的潜在靶点,在这项研究中,我们利用基于片段的药物设计方法设计了一种针对脂蛋白 (a) kringle 结构域的新型、有效且安全的抑制剂。通过使用片段文库 (61600 个片段) 筛选,并结合 MM/GBSA、分子动力学模拟 (MD) 和主成分分析等分析方法,我们成功地鉴定出了针对脂蛋白 (a) kringle 结构域的有效分子。最佳片段的杂交过程 (Breed) 产生了 249 种新型杂合分子,其中 77 种的结合亲和力 (≤-7 kcal/mol) 优于对照 AZ-02 (-6.9 kcal/mol),重要的是,前 10 种分子与对照 AZ-02 具有高度相似性。在这 10 个分子中,BR1 表现出最佳的对接能量 (-11.85 kcal/mol) 和在蛋白质 LBS 结合位点内的更高稳定性,表明其有能力对抗脂蛋白 (a) [Lp(a)] 的病理生理效应。此外,主成分分析 (PCA) 突出了 BR1 和对照化合物 (AZ-02) 结合时的类似运动趋势,限制了蛋白质的流动性并减少了构象空间。此外,ADMET 分析表明其具有良好的类药性,BR1 对 Lipinski 规则的违反最小。总之,所鉴定的化合物具有作为潜在治疗药物的潜力,满足了心血管医学的关键需求。需要进一步的临床前和临床评估来验证其疗效和安全性,这可能会开创 CVDs 靶向治疗的新时代。
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1996-12
Cells. 2023-10-17
J Int Med Res. 2023-3
Atherosclerosis. 2022-5