{"title":"Hierarchical Virtual Screening of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Potential Inhibitors: Similarity Search, Pharmacophore Modeling, and Molecular\u0000Docking Study","authors":"H. Mando, Iyad allous","doi":"10.2174/0122113525280410240106122715","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0122113525280410240106122715","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000\u0000The outbreak of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome\u0000coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV-2) resulted in a widespread pandemic. Various approaches involved\u0000the repositioning of antiviral remedies and other medications. Several therapies, including\u0000oral antiviral treatments, represent some approaches to adapting to the long existence of the\u0000COVID-19 pandemic. In silico studies provide valuable insights throughout drug discovery and\u0000development in compliance with global efforts to overcome the pandemic. The main protease is\u0000an essential target in the viral cycle. Computer-aided drug design accelerates the identification\u0000of potential treatments, including oral therapy.\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000This work aims to identify potential SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors using different\u0000aspects of in silico approaches.\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000In this work, we conducted a hierarchical virtual screening of SARS-CoV-2 main protease\u0000inhibitors. A similarity search was conducted to screen molecules similar to the inhibitor\u0000PF-07321332. Concurrently, structure-based pharmacophores, besides ligand-based pharmacophores,\u0000were derived. A drug-likeness filter filtered the compounds retrieved from similarity\u0000search and pharmacophore modeling before being subjected to molecular docking. The candidate\u0000molecules that showed higher affinity to the main protease than the reference inhibitor were\u0000further filtered by absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) parameters.\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000According to binding affinity and ADME analysis, four molecules (CHEMBL218022,\u0000PubChem163362029, PubChem166149100, and PubChem 162396459) were prioritized as\u0000promising hits. The compounds above were not reported before; no previous experimental studies\u0000and bioactive assays are available.\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000Our time-saving approach represents a strategy for discovering novel SARS-CoV-\u00002 main protease inhibitors. The ultimate hits may be nominated as leads in discovering novel\u0000SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors.\u0000","PeriodicalId":7951,"journal":{"name":"Anti-Infective Agents","volume":"671 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140479380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}