Pinpointing prime structural attributes of potential MMP-2 inhibitors comprising alkyl/arylsulfonyl pyrrolidine scaffold: a ligand-based molecular modelling approach validated by molecular dynamics simulation analysis.

MMP-2 overexpression is strongly related to several diseases including cancer. However, none of the MMP-2 inhibitors have been marketed as drug candidates due to various adverse effects. Here, a set of sulphonyl pyrrolidines was subjected to validation of molecular modelling followed by binding mode analysis to explore the crucial structural features required for the discovery of promising MMP-2 inhibitors. This study revealed the importance of hydroxamate as a potential zinc-binding group compared to the esters. Importantly, hydrophobic and sterical substituents were found favourable at the terminal aryl moiety attached to the sulphonyl group. The binding interaction study revealed that the S1' pocket of MMP-2 similar to 'a basketball passing through a hoop' allows the aryl moiety for proper fitting and interaction at the active site to execute potential MMP-2 inhibition. Again, the sulphonyl pyrrolidine moiety can be a good fragment necessary for MMP-2 inhibition. Moreover, some novel MMP-2 inhibitors were also reported. They showed the significance of the 3^rd position substitution of the pyrrolidine ring to produce interaction inside S2' pocket. The current study can assist in the design and development of potential MMP-2 inhibitors as effective drug candidates for the management of several diseases including cancers in the future.