Sureshan Muthusamy, Rajamanikandan Sundarraj, Saraboji Kadhirvel
Biomolecular Crystallography Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Chemical & Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur, 613401, India.
Department of Biochemistry, Centre for Drug Discovery, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore, 641021, India.
Mol Divers. 2025 Apr;29(2):1393-1413. doi: 10.1007/s11030-024-10922-9. Epub 2024 Jul 2.
Lymphatic filariasis (LF) remains a significant health challenge for populations in developing countries. LF is a parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes, mainly caused by the filarial nematode, Wuchereria bancrofti, prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. Since the present drugs develop complications, including adverse side effects, lack of specificity, and development of drug resistance, the present study focused on developing the potential anti-filariasis drugs targeting crucial proteins for the nematode life cycle. We have identified the therapeutic compounds by targeting the enzyme thioredoxin peroxidase 1 (WbTPx1), which facilitates the conversion of hydrogen peroxide into water, an essential mechanism by which the nematode survives against oxidative stress in the host. This approach might resolve treatment efficacy and activity difficulties at various stages of filarial parasitic worms. We modeled the structure of WbTPx1 and employed the structure-based virtual screening approach, focusing on the dimer interface region of the protein. ADMET prediction profiles of the non-toxic, top-ranked hits with higher docking scores demonstrate higher affinity to the nematode protein than its human homolog. The molecular dynamic simulation studies show WbTPx1-hit complexes' stability and the intactness of hits in the binding site. Further, in vitro validation of identified hits using Setaria digitata, a cattle nematode, showed better IC and higher inhibition than the standard drug ivermectin, indicating the potential to inhibit enzyme activity and the development of drug candidates for controlling LF.
淋巴丝虫病(LF)仍然是发展中国家民众面临的重大健康挑战。LF是一种由蚊子传播的寄生虫病,主要由丝虫线虫班氏吴策线虫引起,在热带和亚热带地区流行。由于目前的药物会产生并发症,包括不良副作用、缺乏特异性以及耐药性的产生,本研究聚焦于开发针对线虫生命周期关键蛋白的潜在抗丝虫病药物。我们通过靶向硫氧还蛋白过氧化物酶1(WbTPx1)这一酶来鉴定治疗性化合物,该酶促进过氧化氢转化为水,这是线虫在宿主体内抵抗氧化应激存活的重要机制。这种方法可能解决丝虫寄生虫各个阶段的治疗效果和活性难题。我们对WbTPx1的结构进行建模,并采用基于结构的虚拟筛选方法,重点关注该蛋白的二聚体界面区域。具有较高对接分数的无毒、排名靠前的命中化合物的ADMET预测图谱显示,其对该线虫蛋白的亲和力高于其人类同源物。分子动力学模拟研究表明WbTPx1-命中化合物复合物的稳定性以及命中化合物在结合位点的完整性。此外,使用牛线虫指状腹腔丝虫对鉴定出的命中化合物进行体外验证,结果显示其IC(半数抑制浓度)比标准药物伊维菌素更好,抑制作用更强,表明其具有抑制酶活性的潜力以及开发用于控制淋巴丝虫病的候选药物的潜力。