In silico antiplasmodial effects of phytocompounds derived from Andrographis paniculata on validated drug targets of different stages of Plasmodium falciparum

Background:Andrographis paniculata has been widely reported as an herbal plant for malaria treatment.The increasing rate of resistance to recommended antimalarial drugs has justified the need for a continuous search for new and more potent drugs that target all stages of the Plasmodium falciparum life cycle from natural plant sources.This study aimed to determine the antiplasmodial effect of phytocompounds derived from A.paniculata on the stages of plasmodium falciparum.Methods:Phytocompounds from A.paniculata were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometry(GCMS)analysis.The phytocompounds were screened for their druggability using Lipinski’s rule of five and subjected to Absorption,Distribution,Metabolism,Excretion,Toxicity(ADMET)and druglikeness analysis.The phytocompounds were docked against some validated drug targets at different stages of Plasmodium falciparum(hepatic,asexual,sexual,and vector targets)using PyRx software to analyze the inhibitory potential and protein-ligand interaction.Thereafter,the stability and flexibility of the best complexes were assessed through molecular dynamics simulations at 50ns using WebGRO.Result:The 7a-Isopropenyl-4,5-dimethyloctahydroinden-4-yl exhibited a higher binding affinity and better stability throughout the simulation period with P.falciparum dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase and Plasmodium falciparum M1 alanyl aminopeptidase for asexual blood stage and gametocyte stage of Plasmodium falciparum,respectively than the existing drugs.Meanwhile,N-Ethyl-3-methoxy-4-methylphenethylamine was also found to have a higher binding affinity and more stability throughout the simulation period with P.falciparum purine nucleoside phosphorylase and Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte surface protein for Hepatic schizonts stage of Plasmodium falciparum and gametocyte transmission blocking stage,respectively,than the existing drugs.Conclusion:The 7a-Isopropenyl-4,5-dimethyloctahydroinden-4-yl and N-Ethyl-3-methoxy-4 methylphenethylamine from A.paniculata are predicted as an antimalarial drug candidate.Thus,it is recommended that in vitro and in vivo bioassays be conducted on these hit compounds to validate these predictions.

Staphylococcus aureus SoS response:Activation,impact,and drug targets

Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of diverse infections,ranging from superficial to invasive,affecting both humans and animals.The widespread use of antibiotics in clinical treatments has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains and small colony variants.This surge presents a significant challenge in eliminating infections and undermines the efficacy of available treatments.The bacterial Save Our Souls(Sos)response,triggered by genotoxic stressors,encompasses host immune defenses and antibiotics,playing a crucial role in bacterial survival,invasiveness,virulence,and drug resistance.Accumulating evidence underscores the pivotal role of the Sos response system in the pathogenicity of S.aureus.Inhibiting this system offers a promising approach for effective bactericidal treatments and curbing the evolution of antimicrobial re-sistance.Here,we provide a comprehensive review of the activation,impact,and key proteins associated with the Sos response in S.aureus.Additionally,perspectives on therapeutic strategies targeting the Sos response for S.aureus,both individually and in combination with traditional antibiotics are proposed.

Spatiotemporally resolved metabolomics and isotope tracing reveal CNS drug targets

Deconvolution of potential drug targets of the central nervous system(CNS)is particularly challenging because of the complicated structure and function of the brain.Here,a spatiotemporally resolved metabolomics and isotope tracing strategy was proposed and demonstrated to be powerful for deconvoluting and localizing potential targets of CNS drugs by using ambient mass spectrometry imaging.This strategy can map various substances including exogenous drugs,isotopically labeled metabolites,and various types of endogenous metabolites in the brain tissue sections to illustrate their microregional distribution pattern in the brain and locate drug action-related metabolic nodes and pathways.The strategy revealed that the sedative-hypnotic drug candidate YZG-331 was prominently distributed in the pineal gland and entered the thalamus and hypothalamus in relatively small amounts,and can increase glutamate decarboxylase activity to elevateγ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)levels in the hypothalamus,agonize organic cation transporter 3 to release extracellular histamine into peripheral circulation.These findings emphasize the promising capability of spatiotemporally resolved metabolomics and isotope tracing to help elucidate the multiple targets and the mechanisms of action of CNS drugs.

Drug targets and resistance mechanisms in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma(MM),a malignancy of plasma cells,is the second most prevalent blood cancer(10%).A PubMed search has been conducted for English research papers and reviews published until January 2018.Numerous drugs are used in treatment of MM.These include the antineoplastic alkylating agents cyclophosphamide,busulfan and melphalan,immunomodulators such as lenalidomide and thalidomide,corticosteroids including dexamethasone,microtubule-targeting agents,such as paclitaxel and vinca alkaloids,as well as the proteasome inhibitors bortezomib and carfilzomib.Despite the considerable number of treatment options,MM is still difficult to treat,which is mirrored by the poor 10-year survival rate of 3%.Resistance to chemotherapy is often the cause for therapy failure.These resistances can be due to the overexpression of efflux pumps,genetic and epigenetic aberrations and the microenvironment of MM.With the gain of knowledge regarding genetic and molecular changes,many molecular targeted therapies including cell signaling targeted therapies are being developed against relapsed/refractory MM.Additionally,epigenetic aberrations such as DNA methylation and histone modifications steered MM management in new directions.Amongst these novel targeted therapies,inhibitors of histone deacetylase,Aurora kinase,inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and cyclin dependent kinases are promising.

Potassium channels as potential drug targets for limb wound repair and regeneration

Background:Ion channels are a large family of transmembrane proteins,accessible by soluble membraneimpermeable molecules,and thus are targets for development of therapeutic drugs.Ion channels are the second most common target for existing drugs,after G protein-coupled receptors,and are expected to make a big impact on precision medicine in many different diseases includingwound repair and regeneration.Research has shown that endogenous bioelectric signaling mediated by ion channels is critical in non-mammalian limb regeneration.However,the role of ion channels in regeneration of limbs in mammalian systems is not yet defined.Methods:To explore the role of potassium channels in limb wound repair and regeneration,the hindlimbs of mouse embryos were amputated at E12.5 when the wound is expected to regenerate and E15.5 when the wound is not expected to regenerate,and gene expression of potassium channels was studied.Results:Most of the potassium channels were downregulated,except for the potassium channel kcnj8(Kir6.1)which was upregulated in E12.5 embryos after amputation.Conclusion:This study provides a new mouse limb regeneration model and demonstrates that potassium channels are potential drug targets for limb wound healing and regeneration.

Integrated causal inference modeling uncovers novel causal factors and potential therapeutic targets of Qingjin Yiqi granules for chronic fatigue syndrome

Objective:Chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS)is a prevalent symptom of post-coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)and is associated with unclear disease mechanisms.The herbal medicine Qingjin Yiqi granules(QJYQ)constitute a clinically approved formula for treating post-COVID-19;however,its potential as a drug target for treating CFS remains largely unknown.This study aimed to identify novel causal factors for CFS and elucidate the potential targets and pharmacological mechanisms of action of QJYQ in treating CFS.Methods:This prospective cohort analysis included 4,212 adults aged≥65 years who were followed up for 7 years with 435 incident CFS cases.Causal modeling and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify the potential causal determinants of CFS.A proteome-wide,two-sample Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis was employed to explore the proteins associated with the identified causal factors of CFS,which may serve as potential drug targets.Furthermore,we performed a virtual screening analysis to assess the binding affinity between the bioactive compounds in QJYQ and CFS-associated proteins.Results:Among 4,212 participants(47.5%men)with a median age of 69 years(interquartile range:69–70 years)enrolled in 2004,435 developed CFS by 2011.Causal graph analysis with multivariate logistic regression identified frequent cough(odds ratio:1.74,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.15–2.63)and insomnia(odds ratio:2.59,95%CI:1.77–3.79)as novel causal factors of CFS.Proteome-wide MR analysis revealed that the upregulation of endothelial cell-selective adhesion molecule(ESAM)was causally linked to both chronic cough(odds ratio:1.019,95%CI:1.012–1.026,P=2.75 e^(−05))and insomnia(odds ratio:1.015,95%CI:1.008–1.022,P=4.40 e^(−08))in CFS.The major bioactive compounds of QJYQ,ginsenoside Rb2(docking score:−6.03)and RG4(docking score:−6.15),bound to ESAM with high affinity based on virtual screening.Conclusions:Our integrated analytical framework combining epidemiological,genetic,and in silico data provides a novel strategy for elucidating complex disease mechanisms,such as CFS,and informing models of action of traditional Chinese medicines,such as QJYQ.Further validation in animal models is warranted to confirm the potential pharmacological effects of QJYQ on ESAM and as a treatment for CFS.

Drug resistance mechanisms and novel drug targets for tuberculosis therapy

Drug-resistant tuberculosis （TB） poses a significant challenge to the successful treatment and control of TB worldwide. Resistance to anti-TB drugs has existed since the beginning of the chemotherapy era. New insights into the resistant mechanisms of anti-TB drugs have been provided. Better understanding of drug resistance mechanisms helps in the development of new tools for the rapid diagnosis of drug- resistant TB. There is also a pressing need in the development of new drugs with novel targets to improve the current treatment of TB and to prevent the emergence of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuber- culosis. This review summarizes the anti-TB drug resistance mechanisms, furnishes some possible novel drug targets in the development of new agents for TB therapy and discusses the usefulness using known targets to develop new anti-TB drugs. Whole genome sequencing is currently an advanced technology to uncover drug resistance mechanisms in M. tuberculosis. However, further research is required to unravel the significance of some newly discovered gene mutations in their contribution to drug resistance.

Recent advances in promising drugs for primary prevention of gastroesophageal variceal bleeding with cirrhotic portal hypertension

Background:Gastroesophageal variceal bleeding is one of the most severe complications of patients with cirrhosis.Although primary prevention drugs,including non-selectiveβ-blockers,have effectively reduced the incidence of bleeding,their efficacy is limited due to side effects and related contraindications.With recent advances in precision medicine,precise drug treatment provides better treatment efficacy.Data sources:Literature search was conducted in PubMed,MEDLINE and Web of Science for relevant articles published up to May 2022.Information on clinical trials was obtained from https://clinicaltrials.gov/and http://www.chictr.org.cn/.Results:The in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis and advances of portal hypertension has enabled the discovery of multiple molecular targets for promising drugs.According to the site of action,these drugs could be classified into four classes:intrahepatic,extrahepatic,both intrahepatic and extrahepatic targets and others.All these classes of drugs offer advantages over traditional treatments in prevention of gastroesophageal variceal bleeding in patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension.Conclusions:This review classified and summarized the promising drugs,which prevent gastroesophageal variceal bleeding by targeting specific markers of pathogenesis of portal hypertension,demonstrating the significance of using the precision medicine strategy to discover and develop promising drugs for the primary prevention of gastroesophageal variceal bleeding in patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension.

Glucocorticoids-based prodrug design:Current strategies and research progress

Attributing to their broad pharmacological effects encompassing anti-inflammation,antitoxin,and immunosuppression,glucocorticoids(GCs)are extensively utilized in the clinic for the treatment of diverse diseases such as lupus erythematosus,nephritis,arthritis,ulcerative colitis,asthma,keratitis,macular edema,and leukemia.However,longterm use often causes undesirable side effects,including metabolic disorders-induced Cushing's syndrome(buffalo back,full moon face,hyperglycemia,etc.),osteoporosis,aggravated infection,psychosis,glaucoma,and cataract.These notorious side effects seriously compromise patients'quality of life,especially in patients with chronic diseases.Therefore,glucocorticoid-based advanced drug delivery systems for reducing adverse effects have received extensive attention.Among them,prodrugs have the advantages of low investment,low risk,and high success rate,making them a promising strategy.In this review,we propose the strategies for the design and summarize current research progress of glucocorticoid-based prodrugs in recent decades,including polymer-based prodrugs,dendrimer-based prodrugs,antibody-drug conjugates,peptide-drug conjugates,carbohydrate-based prodrugs,aliphatic acid-based prodrugs and so on.Besides,we also raise issues that need to be focused on during the development of glucocorticoid-based prodrugs.This review is expected to be helpful for the research and development of novel GCs and prodrugs.

Research Progress on the Bone Metastasis Mechanism of Prostate Cancer and Bone-Targeted Drugs

Prostate cancer is a common male malignant tumor,and bone metastasis is one of the common complications in the late stage of prostate cancer.The mechanism of prostate cancer bone metastasis is a complex process involving multiple factors and steps.In recent years,with in-depth research on the mechanism of prostate cancer bone metastasis and the development of new drugs,important progress has been made in the treatment of prostate cancer bone metastasis.Based on this,this article introduces the mechanism of prostate cancer bone metastasis and the research progress of several bone-targeted drugs to provide reference and inspiration for future research.

Hepatitis C Virus Experimental Model Systems and Antiviral drug Research

An estimated 130 million people worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) making it a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. Because the currently available therapy of pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin is only effective in a subset of patients, the development of new HCV antivirals is a healthcare imperative. This review discusses the experimental models available for HCV antiviral drug research, recent advances in HCV antiviral drug development, as well as active research being pursued to facilitate development of new HCV-specific therapeutics.

Targeting capabilities of engineered extracellular vesicles for the treatment of neurological diseases

Recent advances in research on extracellular vesicles have significantly enhanced their potential as therapeutic agents for neurological diseases.Owing to their therapeutic properties and ability to cross the blood–brain barrier,extracellular vesicles are recognized as promising drug delivery vehicles for various neurological conditions,including ischemic stroke,traumatic brain injury,neurodegenerative diseases,glioma,and psychosis.However,the clinical application of natural extracellular vesicles is hindered by their limited targeting ability and short clearance from the body.To address these limitations,multiple engineering strategies have been developed to enhance the targeting capabilities of extracellular vesicles,thereby enabling the delivery of therapeutic contents to specific tissues or cells.Therefore,this review aims to highlight the latest advancements in natural and targeting-engineered extracellular vesicles,exploring their applications in treating traumatic brain injury,ischemic stroke,Parkinson's disease,Alzheimer's disease,amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,glioma,and psychosis.Additionally,we summarized recent clinical trials involving extracellular vesicles and discussed the challenges and future prospects of using targeting-engineered extracellular vesicles for drug delivery in treating neurological diseases.This review offers new insights for developing highly targeted therapies in this field.

Regulatory effects of GRK2 on GPCRs and possible use as a drug target

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2(GRK2),as a key Ser/Thr protein kinase,belong to the member of the G protein-coupled receptor kinase(GRK)family.The C-terminus of GRK2 including a plekstrin homology domain and the N-terminus of GRK2 including the RGS homology domain with binding sites for several proteins and lipids such as G protein-coupled receptors(GPCRs),G protein,phospholipase C,phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate,extracellular signal-regulated kinase,protein kinase A and Gβγ,which can regulate the activity of GRK2.GRK2 can regulate GPCR desensitization and internalization by phosphorylating the GPCR,promoting the affinity of binding to arrestins,and uncoupling the receptors from G proteins,which play an important role in maintaining the balance between the receptors and signal transduction.Previous studies have indicated that cardiac GRK2overexpression can promote the phosphorylation ofβ-adrenergic receptor(βAR)leading toβAR desensitization and internalization,which play a pivotal role in inducing heart failure(HF)-related dysfunction and myocyte death.GRK2,as a regulator of cell function,is overexpression in hypertension.Overexpression GRK2 can inhibit Akt/e NOS signaling pathway and decreased the production and activation of e NOS leading to endothelial dysfunction.Collagen-induced arthritis induces the upregulation of GRK2 expression in fibroblast-like synoviocytes.In this review,we mainly discussed the evidence for the association between GRK2 overexpression and various diseases,which suggests that GRK2 may be an effective drug target for preventing and treating heart failure,hypertension and inflammatory disease.

A Study on the Multi-Compartment Linear Circulation Pharmacokinetic Model for the Targeting Drug Delivery System

By analyzing the observed phenomena and the data collected in the study, a multi-compartment linear circulation model for targeting drug delivery system was developed and the function formulas of the drug concentration-time in blood and target organ by computing were figured out. The drug concentration-time curve for target organ can be plotted with reference to the data of drug concentration in blood according to the model. The pharmacokinetic parameters of the drug in target organ could also be obtained. The practicability of the model was further checked by the curves of drug concentration-time in blood and target organ(liver) of liver-targeting nanoparticles in animal tests. Based on the liver drug concentration-time curves calculated by the function formula of the drug in target organ, the pharmacokinetic behavior of the drug in target organ(liver) was analyzed by statistical moment, and its pharmacokinetic parameters in liver were obtained. It is suggested that the (relative targeting index( can be used for quantitative evaluation of the targeting drug delivery systems.

Nanodiamonds with powerful ability for drug delivery and biomedical applications:Recent updates on in vivo study and patents

Nanodiamonds are novel nanosized carbon building blocks possessing varied fascinating mechanical,chemical,optical and biological properties,making them significant active moiety carriers for biomedical application.These are known as the most‘captivating’crystals attributed to their chemical inertness and unique properties posing them useful for variety of applications in biomedical era.Alongside,it becomes increasingly important to find,ascertain and circumvent the negative aspects associated with nanodiamonds.Surface modification or functionalization with biological molecules plays a significant role in managing the toxic behavior since nanodiamonds have tailorable surface chemistry.To take advantage of nanodiamond potential in drug delivery,focus has to be laid on its purity,surface chemistry and other considerations which may directly or indirectly affect drug adsorption on nanodiamond and drug release in biological environment.This review emphasizes on the basic properties,synthesis techniques,surface modification techniques,toxicity issues and biomedical applications of nanodiamonds.For the development of nanodiamonds as an effective dosage form,researchers are still engaged in the in-depth study of nanodiamonds and their effect on life interfaces.

Recent advances in lymphatic targeted drug delivery system for tumor metastasis

The lymphatic system has an important defensive role in the human body. The metastasis of most tumors initially spreads through the surrounding lymphatic tissue and eventually forms lymphatic metastatic tumors; the tumor cells may even transfer to other organs to form other types of tumors. Clinically, lymphatic metastatic tumors develop rapidly. Given the limitations of surgical resection and the low effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the treatment of lymphatic metastatic tumors remains a great challenge. Lymph node metastasis may lead to the further spread of tumors and may be predictive of the endpoint event. Under these circumstances, novel and effective lymphatic targeted drug delivery systems have been explored to improve the specificity of anticancer drugs to tumor cells in lymph nodes. In this review, we summarize the principles of lymphatic targeted drug delivery and discuss recent advances in the development of lymphatic targeted carriers.

Design and preparation of a new multi-targeted drug delivery system using multifunctional nanoparticles for co-delivery of siRNA and paclitaxel

Drug resistance is a great challenge in cancer therapy using chemotherapeutic agents. Administration of these drugs with siRNA is an efficacious strategy in this battle. Here, the present study tried to incorporate siRNA and paclitaxel(PTX) simultaneously into a novel nanocarrier. The selectivity of carrier to target cancer tissues was optimized through conjugation of folic acid(FA) and glucose(Glu) onto its surface. The structure of nanocarrier was formed from ternary magnetic copolymers based on FeCopolyethyleneimine(FeCo-PEI) nanoparticles and polylactic acid-polyethylene glycol(PLA-PEG) gene delivery system. Biocompatibility of FeCo-PEI-PLA-PEG-FA(NPsA), FeCo-PEI-PLA-PEG-Glu(NPsB) and FeCo-PEI-PLA-PEG-FA/Glu(NPsAB) nanoparticles and also influence of PTX-loaded nanoparticles on in vitro cytotoxicity were examined using MTT assay. Besides, siRNA-FAM internalization was investigated by fluorescence microscopy. The results showed the blank nanoparticles were significantly less cytotoxic at various concentrations. Meanwhile, siRNA-FAM/PTX encapsulated nanoparticles exhibited significant anticancer activity against MCF-7 and BT-474 cell lines. NPsAB/siRNA/PTX nanoparticles showed greater effects on MCF-7 and BT-474 cells viability than NPsA/siRNA/PTX and NPsB/siRNA/PTX.Also, they induced significantly higher anticancer effects on cancer cells compared with NPsA/siRNA/PTX and NPsB/siRNA/PTX due to their multi-targeted properties using FA and Glu. We concluded that NPsAB nanoparticles have a great potential for co-delivery of both drugs and genes for use in gene therapy and chemotherapy.

Layered Double Hydroxide Modified by PEGylated Hyaluronic Acid as a Hybrid Nanocarrier for Targeted Drug Delivery

In recent years, organic-inorganic hybrid nanocarriers are explored for effective drug delivery and preferable disease treatments. In this study, using 5-fluorouracil(5-FU)as electronegative model drug, a new type of organic-inorganic hybrid drug delivery system(LDH/HA-PEG/5-FU)was conceived and manufactured by the adsorption of PEGylated hyaluronic acid(HA-PEG)on the surface of layered double hydroxide(LDH, prepared via hydrothermal method)and the intercalation of 5-FU in the interlamination of LDH via ion exchange strategy. The drug loading amount of LDH/HA-PEG/5-FU achieved as high as 34.2%. LDH, LDH/5-FU and LDH/HA-PEG/5-FU were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, TGA, laser particle size analyzer and SEM. With the benefit of p Hdegradable feature of LDH and enzyme-degradable feature of HA, LDH/HA-PEG/5-FU showed p H-degradable and enzyme-degradable capacity in in vitro drug release. Moreover, the drug carrier LDH/HA-PEG contained biocompatible PEG and tumor-targeted HA, resulting in lower cytotoxicity and better endocytosis compared with LDH in vitro. It was suggested that the organic-inorganic hybrid drug delivery system, which was endowed with the properties of controlled release, low toxicity and tumor-targeting delivery for ameliorative cancer therapy, was advisable and might be applied further to fulfill other treatments.

Fluorescence imaging of drug target proteins using chemical probes

Fluorescence imaging can provide valuable information on the expression,distribution,and activity of drug target proteins.Chemical probes are useful small-molecule tools for fluorescence imaging with high structural flexibility and biocompatibility.In this review,we briefly introduce two classes of fluorescent probes for the visualization of drug target proteins.Enzymatically activatable probes make use of the specific enzymatic transformations that generally produce a fluorogenic response upon reacting with target enzymes.Alternatively,specific imaging can be conferred with a ligand that drives the probes to target proteins,where the labeling relies on noncovalent binding,covalent inhibition,or traceless labeling by ligand-directed chemistry.

Prospective of extracellular matrix and drug correlations in disease management

The extracellular matrix(ECM)comprises of many structural molecules that constitute the extracellular environment.ECM molecules are characterized by specific features like diversity,complexity and signaling,which are also results of improvement or development of disease mediated by some physiological changes.Several drugs have also been used to manage diseases and they have been reported to modulate ECM assembly,including physiological changes,beyond their primary targets and ECM metabolism.This review highlights the alteration of ECM environment for diseases and effect of different classes of drugs like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,immune suppressant drug,steroids on ECM or its components.Thus,it is summarized from previously conducted researches that diseases can be managed by targeting specific components of ECM which are involved in the pathophysiology of diseases.Moreover,the drug delivery focused on targeting the ECM components also has the potential for the discovery of targeted and site specific release of drugs.Therefore,ECM or its components could be future targets for the development of new drugs for controlling various disease conditions including neurodegenerative diseases and cancers.